


Picture Perfect

by junebug1234



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-07 22:18:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/753714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junebug1234/pseuds/junebug1234
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Series of one shots on the side of the Avengers the public never sees, and coming to understand each other a little better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_There's a place that I know_  
 _It's not pretty there and few have ever gone_  
 _If I show it to you now  
_ _Will it make you run away_

It was Bruce who was invited first. Obvious, in retrospect. He didn't have home, or a place where he felt safe. Tony had connected with him from the beginning, as well. Science bros, Bruce mused. The best thing about living with Tony (and Pepper, he reminded himself), was how Tony was different from the public persona he put on. Sure, he was still all over the place, eccentric and erratic, but he seemed calmer, and less arrogant that on the street. More genuine. He wore jeans, sometimes, and Bruce had even garnered a real smile from him.

Tony had a tendency to have fake, but realistic smiles. Bruce didn't even know that they weren't his real grin until he had been at the Stark tower for a month. They had been watching a movie, Tony actually upstairs, out of his lab and not working for once, and Bruce had commented on the science in the movie being rubbish. Tony had laughed, and smiled at him after it was done. Even asked, shyly for Stark, if Bruce would like to do it again.  
Bruce vowed to get that unguarded, surprisingly sweet, charming smile from Tony Stark again.

Tony also made him feel safe, which was something surprising. Not safe from harm, no, living as an Avenger tended to put them in danger. No, it was the fact that Tony wasn't afraid of...of the Other Guy. He teased Bruce, and irritated him sometimes, but Bruce didn't feel angry around Tony, and that was different. This loud, brash, confident man he met turned out to be someone who could talk a lot about nothing, think things over a million times in his head if it was something important before he decided on a course of action, and was surprisingly self deprecating, and unsure of his place, even in his own home.

He was spontaneous and random most of the time, but Bruce caught him puzzling over one problem for a few days before he made a seemingly spontaneous decision to the rest of the world.

Another Bruce had noticed, was that Tony worked. Worked a lot. They had underestimated this man many times. He was constantly leaving on business, going to meetings, working on new designs, and running a multi-billion dollar business with Pepper. He was tired constantly, just from work, but spent time with Bruce, made an effort to take him to see the things he'd missed while he was in Kolkata, and to become his friend. He also was dating Pepper, and acting as a full time Avenger, not that they were that busy now. Bruce didn't know how he did it.

The last shocking thing to Bruce had been the demons Tony had. His facade was well in place, and made the truth more of a surprise to the doctor. Tony's first time working with armor hadn't been in his job, or making Iron Man. No, Tony had made an armor to protect him from the world when he was five, after a harsh lecture from his father, Tony had said. A mask, constantly evolving until what it is today, protecting him. Bruce had wanted desperately to know who Anthony was, and not talk to Tony Stark all the time.

Bruce appreciated that Tony trusted him enough to let him live in the tower, and to have the threat of the Other Guy constantly looming, even if Tony seemed unconcerned. Bruce asked, once why Tony was alright with having him there, why he was so willing to do things to deliberately push Bruce's buttons, to try and get him angry.

"Stress testing." Tony had answered. "You push until someone breaks, and then you learn their limits. If you can, you make them stronger the next time through."

Tony was constantly pushing, trying to find the point when Bruce would turn and leave, to have had enough with him.

He pushed at everyone. He pushed, and when they left, he wasn't hurt, not like he had been times before, because now he expected it. It was what people did.

"I learned when I was young, Bruce, that people who have their monsters for everyone to see and know about, they're the safest people to be around." Tony said once, when Bruce was agonizing over endangering Tony and Pepper and staying, or leaving, and letting them be safe. Tony patted his shoulder. "You don't want to hurt us, so I don't think you will." Regardless, Bruce asked, and Tony gave him a plane ticket, one week in a remote country place. When Bruce returned, a reinforced room, made to hold the Hulk, but also providing a way out was built into the tower. Bruce asked about it, Tony shrugged and gave him a rare, real smile.

"This way, you worry about losing control, you can come in here. You can leave if you want to, but it won't let you smash the tower or Pepper and I, if that's what you're worried about." Tony shrugged it off, and never spoke of it. Bruce had used it occasionally, but he never thought about leaving again.

When Clint asked for a place to crash between missions, Tony sighed, cleaned out his old house on the outskirts of the city, and made rooms for all the Avengers. Clint didn't leave.

The others didn't come, not now, but they knew they had a safe place, a place away from SHIELD. That meant a lot to people who never had a safe place before. Steve said he was exploring the world. Figuring out how it worked. The undertones of, 'and you're completely annoying to be around' was heard by everyone. Natasha flatly turned it down. Missions, and constantly moving around made her decline. Clint tried to persuade her to use it as a place to squat, and she denied him. "I can't live with Stark, he's insufferable. Bruce is a time-bomb. I'm not living there, not if I want to relax." Clint seemed a little off put, but didn't push the issue. Thor was in Asgard, but accepted the invitation for when he was on Midgard.

Clint was quickly accepted into the tight friendship that had formed between Tony and Bruce. They even shared close to the heart stories about themselves.

It started with Tony telling them college adventures with his friend 'Rhodey', and things he'd done with Pepper. Safe, enjoyable stories. Clint told them about funny things that had happened in the circus, and crazy acts he'd seen. Bruce told them about Betty, and his life before.

Over a midnight soufflé, or omelette, which one of them would make sometimes, Clint broke the first barrier by telling them that he hated Loki. He said it darkly, with a loathing that didn't surprise the other two. Tony loaded Clint's place with food and sat expectantly. With a little prompting, his insecurities about what he'd done, and the remainder of the pain he had from killing so many people spilled out. Tony had interrupted, as Tony was wont to do, harshly, telling him that Clint wasn't to blame. The angry tone was so unlike the genial man that they had been surprised.

"Damn it, Clint," Tony had snapped, "You weren't in control. Magic, which I hate, was. And there was nothing you could do. You're blameless. You couldn't control your actions. You tried to stop it. I was called 'Merchant of Death' for years. I killed people, knowingly, with my weapons for years. I was in control. I could have stopped it at any point. You don't blame me for that, there is no way in hell you can blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

"I tried to make myself better," Bruce interjected. "Ended up becoming a monster. I killed hundreds of people, because of stupid pride, and thinking I could change the world." Clint had smiled a little, and the dark recesses of their minds that were deadly and hurting, the parts that were their closest secrets and feelings, lightened a little.

After that, Tony willingly told them one night about the Arc Reactor, about how it was originally a car battery. He told touched a little on the torture, on why he'd given in, and he told them about a man, Yinsen. The seriousness of his eyes had humbled Bruce and Clint, and when Tony left, his eyes dark and shadowed, making a jerky escape to his lab, Clint and Bruce swore to not tell anyone else, not with Tony's trust given to them like this, with him letting them see how he was broken. How he was trying to fix it.

JARVIS trusted them eventually. He was protective of Tony in a way that was impressive. Even if he had been human, and not a computer. The first time Tony had mentioned the arc reactor, even in passing, JARVIS stopped Bruce and Clint later, and showed them a video. A warning. It showed a man, talking softly to Tony, tearing the reactor out of his chest. As they were walking to their rooms after that, shaken, JARVIS not so subtly showed them the weapons Tony had built into his house, and how he could control them. He also showed them how, because of Tony, he could hack into almost anything. Including places that had the power to completely destroy both of them.

Pepper had smiled at the them, accepting them easily. She liked Bruce and Clint, because they were two of four people who could drag Tony out of his lab. She also warned them he didn't talk about his family. Not ever.  
They all became aware of how dark each other's thoughts were. Tony confessed once, that although not suicidal, his mind moved so fast that he was able to calculate the probability and ways of killing himself with different objects. Bruce had looked horrified, and Tony consoled him.

"It's a thing. I see something, and I just have enough information in my mind that I automatically calculate these things. I calculate everything."

"You've never considered suicide?" Bruce asked, trying to confirm that his best friend wasn't about to off himself.

Tony offered a wry, sad smile, and turned back to his tablet in front of him.

Bruce outright told them he thought about it after Tony's shocking confession.

"Not anymore, not here," Bruce said softly. "I just don't want to be a monster." Clint had glared at the table before telling them that he knows how it feels.

"It hurts really bad sometimes, and I thought it was the only way out. I had no one then." He flashed them a pained little smile. "I do now."

Bruce was constantly checking in with himself. Clint and Tony acted as though there wasn't a Hulk unless they were making jokes about it. He thanked them once.

"The others, they're great. Make an effort to ignore...to ignore him." He said once. "You don't. You don't have to. Even when you joke about it, well, you make me feel like an actual human. Just...thanks, alright? It means everything."

All three of them shied from contact. Tony had Pepper who could touch him freely, and Clint and Natasha were thick as thieves. But besides that, people usually didn't touch them. Steve was touched, hugged, thanked, people grasping his hands in a cheesy, touching way. Natasha was able to slip on a public face, and let others touch her. She didn't like contact, but her team, and SHIELD agents consistently made contact with her. People hugged her.

She accepted it, but she knew part of the reasons civilians trusted her, was because she was a human, and she was a woman. Supposedly approachable and warm. Her team knew she could kill any of them, but trusted her enough to pat her, or to give her contact that they all craved, all wanted to ground them and remind them that they were still people.

Thor hugged unreservedly, but even he stayed away from the three of them. He hugged Natasha, Steve, Fury, the recovered Coulson, Maria Hill, strangers, his brother, anyone. But not the three of them. He tried with Tony once, who was so unused to human contact he flinched violently and backed away, laughing it off, and looking a little shaken. The public didn't touch before of his playboy, eccentric image. They loved him, laughed at him, and exploited him, but didn't touch, unless they were trying to sleep with him or sell him something. Clint was evasive and smirked when others were hugged, and jumped out of range whenever Thor had turned to him. Bruce wasn't hugged because other people were afraid of having a rage monster attack them.

Bruce noticed that they trusted each other when they would touch each other. Tony was fine with initiating contact, kissing a woman's hand, shaking someone's hand. It was necessary in business. But catch him unprepared, he shied away like a frightened animal. Clint seemed disdainful of contact, and ever since Loki entrapped his mind by touching the spear to Clint's chest, he seemed more adverse to it. He would lean in next to Natasha sometimes, and then flit away. Bruce didn't try anymore.

The first time Tony didn't jump when Bruce accidently brushed his shoulder, he tried again, to place a hand, deliberately on Tony's back when they were working together. Eventually the two were sitting next to each other, legs pressing together, or giving a short, warm hug. Bruce had even grabbed Tony's hand once to pull him some place, and the other man even squeezed back.  
Clint found in amusing to drop in and scare the two of them, but they grew used to that, and once, catching Clint off guard, they both grabbed him, and squashed him into the sofa. After shamelessly pinning him, laughing, and doing something normal for them, Clint let himself be touched, and he would touch them too.

They knew each other well, in just five months, Tony had two real friends, two of four people that he actually trusted, that hadn't been bought or bargained, and genuinely liked him. Bruce had two friends, his only ones, that weren't afraid to touch him, to call him on something and to laugh with him. They made the Hulk more human instead of Bruce more like the Hulk. Bruce asked them why. Clint shrugged.

"You're like, together forever, and I figure everyone deserves a friend. It usually makes them less angry."

Tony sniggered.

"It's the same for me, yeah? People think, 'Tony Stark, ass, Iron Man, astounding!' I'm actually not two different people. The bad qualities from Tony Stark are carried to Iron Man and good things people see in Iron Man are in me as well. It's stupid to try and differentiate. You got that, but you get Iron Man too. I get you, and I get him. Monster's aren't monsters if you can see them. Besides, you have it under control. You'd tell us if you didn't. You're not a lying, manipulating person who's going to blindside you."

Bruce nodded. Clint had made two friends, his only other friends being from SHIELD, he liked the 'civilianess' that the other two brought. "You know who I am, and still hang out with me. I can't tell most people I'm an assassin. Defeats the purpose. I can't talk to any of them. I can talk about it with you."

Bruce was caught off guard with the strange group they had. Clint coming in and out, on missions or visiting Natasha or Phil, Tony disappearing into his workshop, losing days, or coming to Clint or Bruce, looking bewildered about something. Usually something to do with regular human interaction. Tony's brain moved too fast for anyone else in the world, and he left regular people behind. His childhood failed to let him understand regular people, just those in business.

Bruce was shocked when he wanted to stay with this makeshift family, and the fierce protectiveness he had. Five months past, and they willingly shared the dark parts of themselves, and gave each other a sanctuary. They made themselves friends, a small, dysfunctional family.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Or will you stay_   
_Even if it hurts_   
_Even if I try to push you out_   
_Will you return?_   
_And remind me who I really am_   
_Please remind me who I really am_

Fury called them back, six months after Loki attacked. Steve was the first to arrive, looking a little sad, a little dishevelled, but ultimately, fulfilled. His search of what the world was like 70 years since when he last remembered was finished. He had seen enough. Natasha was already there, ghosting through the halls in between missions. Coulson was sitting at the table, folders placed neatly under his folded hands, talking quietly to Steve while Thor told Fury about his great triumphs in Asgard. Five minutes late Banner walked in, a little flushed.

"Sorry, we were up late. Slept in." He gave a sheepish smile to Coulson and Fury and sat. Clint and Stark walked in next, Tony sliding in neatly next to Banner. Fury watched them curiously. Clint took Tony's other side, next to Natasha. Steve sat up straight, ready for the meeting. Tony took out his phone.

"Gentlemen and lady. We've gathered you back because officially, the Avenger's are now a type of 'task force' for extraordinary situations in which your help will be needed." As Fury continued to brief them, Steve observed the three men who entered late.

He noticed how Bruce had shifted away from him and closer to Tony. Steve didn't consider Stark to be a wise choice for the Hulk to be around, but he didn't say anything.

An hour later, Coulson stood.

"You'll all be living in one place," he started, and Tony suddenly shot forward, his feet sliding off the table, and standing up, pointing a finger at Coulson. Steve jumped, not thinking he had been paying any attention.

"I am not living in SHIELD facilities. There is no way. I am a civilian, so you can't force me. You can't make me live in these piece of shit rooms that a cockroach would feel claustrophobic in and—"

"Shut up, Stark, we're offering your house."

"—not that cockroach's feel claustro-wait, what? Hold on, I offered rooms months ago, they were turned down, offer revoked. I'm happy at home with no one else bugging me. They'd be a distraction. I'm a genius, I need space to do...do genius things." He said, arms flailing, holding back from stomping his foot.

"You have a mansion." Coulson snapped back.

"I need lots of space!"

"Tony," Bruce interrupted calmly, "maybe it could be a trial run, for like, five months."

Clint nodded. "Seriously man, it could be good." Tony stared at them for a minute, before deflating.

Natasha, Coulson and Fury looked shocked at his show of defeat.

"Fine. But seriously, if one of you screws up my life I will send you away before you can grovel at my feet." Tony snapped. He flopped back into his chair with a huff.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Moving into the mansion two weeks later was surprisingly easy, Steve thought. The billionaire showed them their rooms, designed for them, and in a part of the house they might like. Clint had the bottom floor facing the backyard, because the yard was huge, and Tony had built a custom made archery range into it. Natasha had the room next to his. She was paranoid, and being at the back with an easy escape route was ideal. Also, being near Clint was comfortable. Steve got the room with a tiny, picturesque garden behind it, sketchbooks and pencils placed neatly on his desk. Thor got an upper level room farthest away from Tony and Bruce's labs. He was near the lightning rod.

Steve was a little shocked at the consideration put into these rooms.

He wandered into the communal kitchen, where Clint was giving everyone a Pop Tart. Thor had twenty piled in front of him, and he was stuffing his mouth with them methodically. Tony had a tablet in front of him, and a lady with red hair was by his side. Steve thought she looked vaguely familiar, but couldn't place her. Perhaps he saw her on the day New York was attacked. 

"Steve, hey, good, you're here. Ok, here's how this works," the woman said, "You're going to tell us what you like, what you eat, wash your hair with, movies you like, anything relevant. We're going shopping this afternoon if you want to come with us and pick something else up."

Tony's head hit the table, incoherent mumbling coming from him. The lady smiled, took his tablet, and ignored him.

"Who wants to start?" She asked. Clint cleared his throat.

"I'm a fan of hot chocolate, and I like it when we have—"

The woman shushed him.

"I know what you like, you've been living here. I hope you feel comfortable enough to ask, at this point."

Clint grinned. He had been living here? Steve knew that Tony had extended the offer before, but hadn't realized anyone had taken him up on it.

"Thor? Natasha? Steve?" Bruce prompted. "What do you like? This is honestly just to get you supplies and make you comfortable." Steve shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like being put on the spot.

"Honestly, I'm fine with what I have..." He trailed off. He had stayed in smaller places than the gingantic mansion and huge room. Besides, growing up in the Depression made him pretty easygoing.

"He likes drawing." Tony interrupted. "Maybe those paints we saw the other day, Pep, and he's all patriotic, and for some reason likes keeping up with current events. Not good with technology, so we could order local and national newspapers. He wants a progression of movies up to present day, starting from the forties. The time of Cary Grant, whooh." Tony's voice was deadpan, his face still planted in the table.

Clint took over. "He's all old fashioned and cheesy, right? So we could make a path through the garden outback, and we'll need the gym to have a consistent supply of sandbags until I can get around to making a prototype for the ones that are stronger. He likes things like Wheaties, and whole grain bread. A bulletin board, too, definitely."

"Agreed, he's going to want a place to hang all those lovely fan letters," Tony said wearily.

"Besides that, we have no idea." Clint said cheerfully. Steve stared at them wide-eyed, touched and shocked that they would know that about him.

"Alright, Thor?"

"Luxurious," Tony said, mumbling.

Clint nodded. "Like, kingly. And also, lots and lots of poptarts. Thor likes them. Coffee. Bulk of any food we buy."

"And Natasha?" the woman asked, smiling slightly.

"Gardening." Clint, Tony and Bruce all said together. Clint took over. "Her and Steve could improve our pitiful little garden out back."

"Also, a swimming pool." Tony supplied. Natasha looked at him suspiciously. Steve guessed that the three had known information about her that she hadn't shared as well. "Can I go now?" Tony asked, head coming up from the table, a red mark on his forehead.

"No," the lady said firmly. "Show them the house."

"This is the house, practically. Living room out there, with television. We can watch things on it. Rec room with games and shit beside that. Fun. My workshop, off limits, and kitchen. That's it! Feel free to explore. Oh, and JARVIS."

"What's Jarvis?" Steve asked.

"Say hello, JARVIS," Clint said mischievously.

"Hello, sir." A voice echoed around the walls. Steve jumped at the voice, and Thor looked at the ceiling in bewilderment. "I am an AI built into the whole house. I can help you with anything you need." The voice explained kindly.

"Artificial Intelligence," Natasha supplied helpfully. The other woman nodded, briskly picking up the tablet.

"Right, I'll grab these things later today. Your closets are stocked with new clothes, but if you want something different, let me know. Your measurement should be right. I'll see you all later." Tony slid off his chair and hugged her briefly.

"Thanks Pepper." He said gratefully. She grinned.

"Anytime."

"Buy yourself something nice while you're out," Tony said, sliding his hands to her waist. Pepper laughed.

"I already have." She kissed him, and Steve averted his eyes. He didn't know Stark had a dame.

When she had left, he looked back up. Natasha smirked at him, but turned quickly to dig through the fridge. Tony was left standing awkwardly.

"Right. Well. Um, Clint and Bruce know where everything is, if you think of anything you want, write it down, or tell Coulson or Pepper or something. I'm going to you know, work, in my uh, workshop." He made a hasty retreat. Natasha's eyebrow raised, and she turned to the others.

"Pepper said he has movies." She said, not questioning, but demanding. Clint smirked, and led her to them, the others following, not sure what to do.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As time passed, it became increasing obvious that Tony was avoiding him. He was out for business a lot, more than Steve thought that shallow man would be, but it was obvious that Tony was trying to not have any time alone with Steve. Not just Steve, but Natasha and Thor as well. He would talk to Clint and Bruce, and any time one of the others came in, Tony pulled away and left to work.

Eventually, he started ignoring the other two as well. Steve was irritated. The whole team got along well, except for Tony. He was a loose cannon, hiding in his basement, irresponsibly not doing anything with them. They had a movie night, and dinner together, and Tony never came to either.

He gave up on the billionaire, who clearly didn't want to be around them.

One day, he was walking with Natasha back from their small garden, when he ran into Bruce and Clint. Natasha stopped him, and motioned for him to be quiet. They listened to the conversation in the next room, Natasha with a furrowed, suspicious look, and Steve feeling rude to eavesdrop like this.

"He's pushing, Clint."

"I know! But he didn't do this before they came," Clint replied harshly, his voice a rough whisper.

"Yeah, I think he's worried."

"Of what?"

"You saw the footage of Obidiah," Bruce said softly. "He's not going to get close to more people if he can help it."

"Why push us away?"

"We're friends with them, maybe? I don't know, maybe we're guilty by association."

"Just because Obidiah tried to kill him doesn't mean they will."

"He already distrusts Natasha," Bruce reminded him quietly.

"Didn't get along with Steve outside of the fight," Clint added.

"And I'm sure Thor and him would be fine if he ever left the stupid basement."

"I think we should go bug him until he realizes we won't betray him or leave suddenly. Remind him that we're friends." Bruce didn't reply, but they left the room, leaving Steve to look at Natasha with wide eyes.

"Should have been obvious," Natasha said thoughtfully. "Distrustful because of previous betrayals. Makes sense he's avoiding us."

"What?"

"He doesn't want to get close to us in case we end up trying to kill him or leaving him behind when we get tired because it's happened enough before he can barely trust Pepper, Clint and Bruce anymore." Natasha said. "His father's best friend who watched Tony grow up tried to kill him a couple of years ago. Tony ended up having to kill him instead."

Steve gaped. Tony had that happen to him? No wonder he didn't want people in his house.

"I hadn't realized they were so close to him," Steve said softly.

"Me neither," Natasha replied. "Apparently we missed a lot by turning down that offer to live here before now."

"That reminds me, how did he know what we liked to do? Our hobbies, interests, we didn't tell him about that." Steve hissed.

"They're observant, Steve," Natasha said dryly. "Bruce spent his life after his accident watching people's reactions to him. Tony's a business man, reading people, and manipulating their emotions is what he was born into. Clint is a trained assassin, taught how to watch and predict, and to get as much data on everyone as possible. It makes sense that they noticed subtle things about us." She patted him shoulder. "They're just better at it than any of us thought."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Clint jumped on the work table. Tony grumbled and swatted half heartedly at him.

"Make me dinner, Tony." Clint demanded. "I want food." Tony peered up at him.

"Seriously?" He asked. Clint nodded.

"I'm completely serious. I'm a serious as...something serious. Look, I want food, and you can cook. How can you cook anyway? Seriously I mean, look Tony, I'm being serious again, but seriously, I thought you wouldn't be able to cook at all. I thought you'd be terrible. You're not. Why?"

Tony gave his first genuine smile in weeks.

"When I was in college, I hired a professional cook to teach me. There was this girl who was really into homemade food, and she was really hot. So I learned how to cook, and made her this dinner. Told her to come over, just to eat, not a date or anything. She dated me afterwards."

"Weren't you fifteen in college?" Bruce asked.

"Well, yeah, when I started. I finished at seventeen though, which was when I learned."

"What happened with the girl?" Clint prodded.

"I slept with her friend." Tony said, grinning.

"Wait, really?" Bruce asked. "That's a terrible thing to do."

Tony shrugged. "She didn't take it well."

"Bad break up?" Clint asked. Tony laughed, nodding.

"One good thing came out of that, and that was I learned how to cook. I think it was worth it. Pepper likes it when I cook." Clint nodded.

"I like you cooking as well. Which is why you're going to make me dinner. Also, you're going to talk to us again, because I feel neglected."

"Everyone talks to you, Clint." Tony responded dryly.

"It's not the same," Clint said dramatically, clutching his hand over his heart. "But now, shower, because you stink, how long have you been in the workshop, really Tony, and then food. Come on, I'm hungry!"

Steve's eyebrows shot up when Tony came from wherever he had been, freshly showered and heading towards the kitchen.

"I thought you didn't eat," Steve prompted him. Tony gave him a tight smile.

"I don't, not really. The kitchen is the room I use the least." He replied. Steve followed him into the kitchen.

"Are you making something?"

"That hard to believe?"

"I've just never seen you cook before. Just curious." Steve said defensively. Tony had an ability to make him feel like he was being challenged with every word he said.

"Well, Clint told me he was hungry, and demanded I cook for him. So here I am."

"You seem to have a lot of secrets," Steve observed. He didn't think anyone else knew that Tony could cook. Tony glanced at him.

"Not all of us can be picture perfect," he replied darkly.

"Stark. No one is perfect," Steve chastised. "No one. No matter what they seem like on the surface." As Steve was speaking, Tony's previous mannerisms slid into place, making sense to Steve why he did the things he did.

"That's like you, isn't it?" He asked the billionaire. "You put on this act, for the world. You make us think that you're one type of person, that you're arrogant, a jerk, and mean to everyone. But you're not. It's easier, isn't it?" He challenged, stepping towards Tony. The other man gave a harsh laugh.

"I let people see what they want to. It's easier, Captain, to feed an image, one already created, than to fight against it. But you would understand that, wouldn't you?" He snapped. Steve flinched. Memories of dancing girls, and punching Hitler, all while longing to fight, to protect and defend, ran through his head. Going along with the law, because it was easier. Yeah, he could relate to that.

"I think that if you tried to be nicer, Stark, more people would like you," He growled.

"What if I don't want people to like me?" Tony challenged. "Excuse me, Captain, I have to make dinner." He pushed past Steve, who deflated at the end of the fight.

"Look, Stark, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Steve apologized. Tony nodded dismissively.

"Sure, yeah, whatever. It's good to know you can get mad I guess."

"What? Why?"

"No one is perfect," Stark mocked. "Thanks for proving that." Steve clenched his fist to keep from retorting, and instead turned and marched out of the kitchen. Right into Bruce.

"You were right," Bruce said softly. "He puts on this mask. Hides the parts you don't want people to see. Hide's the weaknesses. You just have to look extra hard for who Tony is as opposed to seeing Stark. I hope you're good at looking." He patted Steve's shoulder comfortingly and entered the kitchen.

Natasha was scowling at the television. Clint was sitting smugly down the couch, smirking at the plate in his hand, filled with steaming food. Bruce was in the kitchen, talking to Tony and eating. Steve was looking puzzled, glancing between the delicious looking food, Natasha, and the room where soft voices were coming from.

"I do not understand," Thor said loudly. Steve jumped. "Why is there sustenance for two of our shield brothers, but not for us all? Is it not the sign of a gallant man to share his resources?"

"Yes." Natasha snapped. "But apparently Clint forgot to tell Tony that we would all be in tonight, and that he should only cook for Bruce and him."

"I was just thinking," Clint said, his mouth obnoxiously full, "that now you can all realize some of what you're missing by not being Tony's friend. Watching me eat the food he made for me, it's educating you!" He swallowed loudly. "I even get to drive the Jag."

Natasha glared at Clint. He grinned and took another huge piece of food off his plate.

"You don't know, Nat," Clint said, quieter, more seriously. "There's more to him then an arrogant ass. You just have to be willing to see it." He got up and strolled towards Bruce and Tony, who were eating in the kitchen. He gave a mock salute and disappeared.

 

After that day, Tony spent more time with Clint and Bruce again. Steve made an effort to go to the kitchen and make dinner with Tony a few time, managing to get him to talk to him without getting into a fight. Thor enthusiastically asked Tony to take him 'to these curious ven-doors! I wish for a dog that is hot!' Tony had grinned at him. Coulson dropped by the mansion a few times. When Phil returned back to SHIELD after his first visit, he went to report directly to Fury.

"Sir, we have a problem," Coulson said. Fury raised his eyebrow.

"Banner, Stark and Barton are friends. They're close. Barton and Banner make Stark less volatile, Banner is less angry, Barton is controllable and has someone to ground him, besides Romanoff. The three of them, they're a good influence on each other. Two civilians will counter the effects of missions for Barton. Good for teamwork, bad outside of that."

"Can you elaborate Agent?" Fury intoned.

"All three of them are trouble. Pranks, jokes, generally being insufferable, those are things easily dealt with individually. The three of them could take down the helicarrier. They're dangerous, smart and can do almost anything they put their minds to. I think we need to be careful."

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_Everybody's got a dark side_  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side? 

It started after a mission. One of the first things that Bruce noticed about Clint was that he was quiet. Mischievous, devilish, but quiet. He dropped by Stark house, when Bruce and Tony were still living alone, together, with Pepper most of the time. He looked tired.

"The helicarrier is still in reconstruction," he started, looking vaguely guilty. "And they said that you offered a room?" The last part, questioning and hopeful, persuaded Tony, who most definitely had _not_ offered a room.

"Well, I didn't, but you can come in," Stark had replied, a little bit haughty. Clint looked relieved, and entered.

"Look, I won't bother you or anything. I just need a place to crash for a couple of days." Tony looked offended.

"Barton. Clint, can I call you Clint?" Tony asked. He didn't wait for an answer before ploughing on. "Clint, I will design you a room if you or SHIELD doubts my ability to be a good host. It will be awesome."

It started with Tony's wounded ego, misinterpreting Clint needing a room as a challenge from SHIELD, to see if Tony could do anything nice and worthwhile.

Clint had accepted, and two days later, they were friends, planning a room just the way Clint wanted it. Bruce hung around, offering suggestions. Clint had grinned as he left for his next mission. It was the first time Bruce had seen him smile.

It started with Tony saying to Clint as he left, "Look, come back, alright? You can stay here whenever you want. You're cool as long as you don't stab me in the neck like your partner did. And besides, I have the space."

Clint came back.

It started with Clint not being quiet any more.

It started with Clint failing to convince the other Avengers to come to mansion, shrugging, and spending time with the two smartest people on the team. Tony worked, and almost always had his tablet with his, tapping out some complex invention. Clint never understood what he was doing, but one morning, he walked downstairs and found new arrows sitting at his spot on the table. Improved explosive arrows, a gelatinous one that solidified after it hit, and a few others. A note sat with them, the words, _tell me how they work_ , scribbled messily onto it with black pen.

It started when Bruce came back from his volunteer work, and Clint returned from SHIELD to find Tony sitting to eat an elaborate dinner. He motioned at the counter where two more plates sat. Clint blurt out, "you can cook?" Instead of becoming offended, or talking back, Tony merely grinned.

It started with that lack of a challenge from the confrontational man. Bruce and Tony were closer, sure. They got science, and Clint knew that Bruce was convinced to stay only because of Tony. He knew that Tony told Bruce things about his life, things no one else knew. He knew that Tony and Bruce had a level of trust between them that rivalled any friendship he had ever seen. In such a short time, he was amazed.

It started when Clint first thought of Bruce and Tony as _friends_ , then stopping in his surprise. Only Natasha and Phil had been friends before.

It started when Tony opened up to Clint, telling him about his adventures with Rhodey, his friend. Told them how he and Pepper met, how Pepper got her nickname, about his time with Natasha when she was still Natalie.

It started when Clint returned the show of trust, told Tony about how he started in the circus. He opened himself up for the teasing that didn't come, not then. Sure, they ribbed him about it a few times, but not when he was sharing his stories. Bruce quietly told Clint, because Tony knew already, about Betty. This girl he loved, and had to let go, for her sake. Because she couldn't stay with a monster like him. Clint nodded, sympathetic, and pretended not to notice the hand Bruce slipped into Tony's for support.

Clint pretended not to notice when Bruce was getting upset, or telling a difficult story, he craved for contact of someone he trusted. Clint pretended that when Bruce first placed a hand on his arm for the stability and grounding that he needed, pretended that it didn't _make his day_ , but he did shoot him a small smile.

The first night they shared a story that was close to them, that belonged in the vaults of their minds, that no one else had the chance to unlock; it was Clint who broke the barrier. Tony cooked again, and he was chewing slowly.

"I hate him, you know." He said, almost conversationally.

"Hate is a strong word, Clint Francis Barton, and I don't think that you should-"

"-hate is a mild word compared to language you use," Bruce interrupted mildly, sprinkling a sauce over his rice. Tony mock glared at him. Clint grinned.

"But I do, hate him, I mean. Hate Loki. For everything he did." Clint continued. Tony looked at him.

"The trying to take over the world part, you mean? Or when he tried to kill us? Or neither? Oh, I know, when he took your mind as his slave. That sucks man." Tony said the last part nodding sincerely. Clint's lips twitched again, but he stared at his food instead of looking at his friends.

"For everything he did. But especially what he did to me. I've never felt so helpless. It was like I was an observer, watching someone else play with my mind and body. I had no control." His fists clenched. "I was watching everything I had kept secret before be on display for Loki to see, just by him asking. And I couldn't stop the words. It was like they were poison, this caustic burn was left in my mouth just by destroyed my beliefs, my values and morals. I don't have many rules that I live by, but he managed to make me _sick_. I was sick with myself, but I couldn't do anything, I couldn't stop him, I couldn't stop it, and I attacked the helicarrier, Phil _died_ thinking I was a traitor...Loki destroyed _me_."

Clint was grinding out the words, his hands clenched tightly around his fork, his knuckles white. Bruce gently touched his hand.

"Phil died knowing that you, who you were and always would be, was with him. On his side. You shot Fury in the chest, Barton, not the head. I've seen you shoot, and the head was a viable, even easy target. You didn't tell Loki anything important, and you absolutely have nothing to blame yourself for. You could have died when Loki first attacked, instead you stood and fought back. That's more than most people would do." Tony said harshly. "You're not to blame. You're still you Clint, Loki never could take that away from you."

Clint was quiet.

"Damn it, Clint." Tony snapped. "You weren't in control. Magic, which I hate, was. And there was _nothing you could do_. You're blameless. You couldn't control your actions. You tried to stop it. I was called 'Merchant of Death' for years. I killed people, knowingly, with my weapons for _years_. I was in control. I could have stopped it at any point. You don't blame me for that, there is no way in hell you can blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault."

"I tried to make myself better," Bruce interjected. "Ended up becoming a monster. I killed hundreds of people, because of stupid pride, and thinking I could change the world."

Clint stared at his plate, when Bruce spoke.

"I get what you're saying. Clint, we get it. Tony sold weapons that killed millions of people. I turn into a monster that goes on a mindless rage attack, killing people. We've both done things we're not proud of. But we had choices in what we did. We could have stopped it. You couldn't. It was involuntary. It's not your fault."

"We still trust you, you know," Tony said, his tone a little lighter. His brown eyes bore into Clint's when he finally looked up.

It started when Tony and Bruce proved they knew Clint, and could read him. It started when they trusted him. Tony told Bruce and Clint a bit about Afghanistan. They didn't expect much, not at first. Bruce told them about Harlem.

Tony left early to go down and finish work for R&D. JARVIS stopped Clint and Bruce.

 _Do you know about a man named Obadiah Stane?_ JARVIS asked politely. _Please watch._ They watched as Tony had the arc reactor pulled out. They heard the whispered words. They felt sick for their friend. When the video cut out, Bruce and Clint were silent. _I would like you to understand_ , JARVIS said quietly. _On another note, I was told to inform you that I have been equipped with weapons in this house in case of an emergency. Do not hesitate to ask._ Clint and Bruce took that to be related to his first point, and understood the warning for what it was. _Also,_ JARVIS continued, _I would like you to know that if you would like to access your files from here, that is entirely possible. I am already in place in the SHIELD and other government systems_.

Clint and Bruce understood the warning JARVIS was giving them. Hurt Tony, and he would destroy them, their futures, their pasts, their credibility, anything that they held dear. They were astonished at how loyal Tony's machines were. The understood this was JARVIS's way of protecting Tony. But it was also his way of saying, _welcome to the family. I can trust you_.

It started with an understanding between them. Tony smiled more, laughed more. Genuine, striking smiles that were contagious. Bruce was happier, more relaxed. Clint felt at home for the first time in his life. In the carnival, in SHIELD, he was always on edge. There was always something around that could hurt.

When the team came to live with them, and Tony disappeared, Clint found himself receiving a new bow, with a newer composite metal to make it more durable, yet lighter. Bruce and Tony were unbeatable in the lab together.

It started when Clint felt like he had two friends who he could completely trust. Natasha was great, she was his friend, but she worked for SHIELD. Anyone and anything affiliated with SHIELD was not to be trusted with your deepest, darkest secrets, because they always had the opportunity to exploit you, to leave you raw and bleeding, your scars opened for everyone to see, and to walk away. To claim it was just a job.

So as much as they trusted each other, they could never believe in each other's goodness. The purity that they had as children was gone. In many ways, Clint knew that Bruce and Tony had been through more than him. Both had hinted at abuse from parents, suicidal tendencies, life threatening situations and times when their genius moved faster than the world around them, and they saw the mindless stupidity people let themselves settle on, and left them depressed.

Yet, throughout the darkness that followed his friends around, they didn't have the burden of being a trained killer. They knew what it was to kill, and they were weapons, even just their intelligence killed hundreds.

Yet, they didn't take orders blindly and kill on command. They weren't fully aware of what they were doing, however much they liked to argue. The innocence that remained was refreshing to Clint. The civilian outlook on life remained, even through horrors, betrayels and terrible accidents. The two civilians on their team grounded him and reminded him sometimes, what he was fighting for. Why he was still there, pushing at those horrors that encased the world, that they could never escape for. Tony's enthusiasm and genuine philanthropy was refreshing, and Bruce's control and hope that people could live peacefully while foolish, was a joyful thought to have.

Which is why Clint stayed at Tony's house instead of returning to SHIELD's base.

It started with the spark of potential between them.

With the first prank they played.

The first time Banner gripped his hand while telling a story.

When Tony turned to them instead of alcohol.

Clint telling someone how he felt without worrying about psychologists analyzing him, or losing a job.

The first time Tony built him an archery range in his backyard claiming it was for all the birthdays he missed, but really just showing like he did sometimes, that he had a heart, he just didn't understand how to _show_ it all the time.

It started after a mission.

It was the greatest friendship they had ever had.

* * *

Clint was still tired.

Tired of missions, of constantly being in and out of SHIELD, of his home, constantly finding posters, art, charities made for his well known friends. Captain America, the American hero. Tony Stark, the ruthless yet charming business man who wormed his way into the hearts of the people. Even the _Hulk_ was more well known that him and Natasha.

He liked it that way, but he was tired, sometimes, how people complimented his team, _him_ , but always changed the conversation to talk about someone else. He didn't want to spend his time retelling the same story of Steve saving people in the bank. He wasn't even _there_. Go ask Captain America, who _was_.

Tony was a natural in the spotlight of the press. Moving swiftly, with purpose, entertaining people, charming them, and taking their money. Even through scandals, people seemed to love him. Steve was awkward, offended by the blatant rudeness of the press and people in the 21st century. Thor was cheerfully telling anyone who would listen about his great deeds. Bruce wasn't there. Natasha and Clint needed anonymity to keep up, for future missions. Clint was tired. He liked the quiet of his life before, but couldn't argue that this life had given him a family and a place to belong. It had given him energy again.

* * *

Clint was constantly shocked by his teammates.

Steve liked to do team things. He encouraged ice breakers, which Tony and Clint turned into strip poker. He encouraged movie nights which Tony avoided at first, and Clint hung from the ceiling at first before he trusted them enough to sit with them. Steve was unfailingly kind until he came to something he didn't understand. This included Tony, Clint and Bruce.

Thor was cheerful, simple to please and to understand. He spoke his mind.

Natasha was a spy, but frank with Steve, and explained things when he asked. She didn't get offended much anyway.

But Steve couldn't understand the others because they were private, prickly, and had too many triggers that reminded them of things that had hurt them, that talking to them was like treading on a minefield.

Bruce was quiet. He was an enigma, keeping personal things to himself, talking to Tony mostly, and Clint occasionally. In public, Bruce always kept close to Tony, who could deflect any uncomfortable situations onto himself, and rapidly change the subject. Bruce was upfront with Steve, kind, but let him know when he was pushing too far. When he was getting angry. Bruce was the type of person to tell you to run, because he didn't want to attack.

He was also surprisingly devious. Steve said once that he wished he had gone to school for art. Bruce looked horrified.

"Steve," he had said, "art has been banned from this country since the 80's. I'm sorry, I thought someone would have told you." Steve's shocked face made Tony cover his laughs with coughs, and Clint 'accidentally' drop his arrow to hide his shaking shoulders.

Bruce said once that Steve couldn't relate to the three of them because they all hid behind masks, lies and the threat of something darker lurking just beneath the surface. Natasha, for all her terrifying ninja skills, was a private person, but people _knew_ what made her silent. They knew about her past, because she thought it was important for them to understand her assets, briefly telling them about her time in Russia, and other skills she had. She was an assassin, but she practically was the essence of danger. Even Thor tried to indulge her.

Steve was purity and goodness at its greatest, combined with a determination and strength, and a stubbornness that made him Captain America.

Thor was open, and they knew more about him then they wanted.

But the three of them were slippery, and each had a dark past they wouldn't share. Knew about their weaknesses, their shortcomings, but didn't hide them. Flaunted them, used them.

Not like the others. Steve couldn't relate because he didn't have that darkness. Sure, he had served in the war, but always hoped in a good, better future. They had all given up at some point. They all agreed that they wished he never would have to.

Tony could manipulate people. Steve didn't realize that at first. He thought that he was cocky, arrogant, self assured, but it wasn't until they were faced with press that Steve, Natasha, Clint and Thor realized how adept he was at getting what he wanted. He was a conundrum, constantly contradicting their beliefs of him.

Words flowed from him seemingly constantly. But he said surprisingly little. He seemed oblivious to other people when he was by himself. With the press he was aware of their aim, and with important politicians, or rich friends, he remembered old stories, small comments they had made, and asked about it. He made them comfortable, buttered them up, made them feel important. Then he took their money, their secrets, and whatever else he wanted. His charisma practically oozed from him, and he took full advantage of it. He was a predator, lurking, drawing out his prey before striking where it hurt them the most.

Steve was worried about how much Tony knew.

Clint eventually was open to talking to anyone on the team. Out of all of them, he was the one who was safely becoming friends with them all. Steve asked him questions, but was confused with his answers sometimes, and Clint didn't have the patience to fully explain. He also had a tendency to make a joke, or play a practical joke on Steve, telling a little white lie to throw him off. Natasha didn't, and liked being needed by someone.

So Steve understood Thor and Natasha. He didn't think he would ever understand Tony, Bruce or Clint.

But they were still becoming friends. Tony still flinched when Natasha's hand strayed near his neck, and he shies away from Thor's hugs. He is civil to Steve, and buys Thor different types of pop tarts. He pats him on his shoulder, initiating the contact the God wants, even letting his hand linger once when Thor was talking sadly about Loki. He buys Natasha flowers once, and they know he doesn't trust them, not all the time, not with his secrets. He isn't their friend. But he's trying. He's trying to be a part of the team he never wanted to be on.

Bruce tries to avoid stress. He retreats to his lab multiple times, but he talks. He talks to Steve, patient and warm, adjusting him to the modern world. He talks to Natasha, apologizes for scaring her, promises that as long as she remains trustworthy, the Hulk won't come out because of her. He's candid about his life when they need a wakeup call, and sometimes, when he's stressed, or overwhelmed, or needs time alone, Bruce disappears, dragging Tony with him. The two people forced into the Avenger's, the two civilians taking some time away from the rest of the team, all who were carefully shaped into killing machines. He stresses sometimes about the violence they can show, and Tony, the civilian, the engineer, his fellow genius and his _best friend_ goes and takes him out for a burger. Shows him the world is still the same, and that most people just want a peaceful life. Shows him they aren't all trying to save the world, that most people just want to _live_ in it.

Clint needs enjoyment in his life. He spars with Natasha, beating her sometimes, and with Steve, beating him sometimes. With both of them, no one winning, except for Natasha sometimes. He talks to Banner at times, because he listens so _damn_ well, and he understands, and he talks to Tony at times, because the billionaire gets him like other people haven't before. He talks to Steve about the war, and he talks to Thor about Asgard.

He climbs through the air vents at points, to relax, and watch.

He finds his place on his team, and forms friendship with them all.

* * *

Clint knows that Bruce and Tony are willing to go head to head with anyone or anything to back up their team, but that's because they're civilians, and because Bruce is the Hulk, and Tony has more money than he knows what to do with sometimes and can afford anything he wants. He knows Thor will do what he thinks is just, but that most of the time he just doesn't understand to truly defend anyone. And he knows Steve will fight for what's right, no matter what, but that even he has to obey SHIELD. He is still a soldier after all.

He knows Natasha is loyal to Fury, even if she doesn't trust him.

Which is why it surprises him when they all fight for him.

He knew that when he returned to SHIELD that it would happen. He genuinely expected a few comments, a few looks of distrust. He also expected them from his team, even though that never happened. But he also expected those looks to fade after a while. After they saw he wasn't possessed by the God of Mischief anymore.

They didn't. Seven months after he was first taken by Loki, the looks were still being shot in his direction. Men and woman have turned down missions because they would have had to be working with him. Comments are snide, rude, and no one treats him like they used to. They treat him like he's unstable, violent, dangerous, all of which he _is_ , but hasn't _shown_ before, and they treat him like he's untrustworthy. Like he's betrayed SHIELD. Which is stupid, really, he thinks, when SHIELD seems to have more secrets than there are mysteries about the universe. _They're_ the ones betraying him, if anything.

So when there's a team meeting, in SHIELD, some people come in early. People like Clint, and Natasha, who still practise with SHIELD employees to keep their skills honed. Bruce is there, studying something in a lab. Thor comes because he honestly doesn't know what else to do.

Steve is there because he didn't want to stay alone with Tony, and Tony is there because Bruce asked him to come after realizing he would be left alone, and that is a fire hazard.

So, it's no surprise that they're all late for the meeting. Even though they were honestly trying to get there on time, well, maybe not Tony, but all the responsible people were.

But it wasn't Tony's fault, not this time. There was no explosions, headaches, looks of exasperation and the computers in SHIELD were still in their control.

Thor and Steve had gone on ahead.

_Like a diamond_   
_From black dust_   
_It's hard to know_   
_It can become_   
_A few give up_   
_So don't give up on me_   
_Please remind me who I really am_

It was a junior agent in SHIELD who shot Clint a mistrustful look. Clint frowned, but ignored it. Tony didn't.

"Woah, hold on, what was that for?" He asked. The agent stopped, edging away from the group.

"Well, you know, he's a _traitor_ , so he shouldn't even be here." The agent replied haughtily.

Natasha growled in the back of the throat. The agent flinched. Everyone knew they should fear Natasha.

"Who _are_ you?" Tony asked.

"Agent Stale, sir." He replied. Tony nodded, looking back to his phone.

"A traitor," Bruce mused. "That's a little harsh, isn't it?"

"No sir. He killed people on the helicarrier, he turned against our director and he betrayed us. He told the enemy about us."

"Saving the world isn't redemption enough?" Tony asked casually. "I mean come on, cut a guy some slack. If not for him, you and your friends would be mournful little slaves to a God who's off his rockers."

Clint stayed quiet.

Natasha watched them curiously.

Stale scoffed.

"I understand you think he helped, but the rest of you did that. The _real_ heroes. Besides, you wouldn't have the means to do any of this without SHIELD. We're letting you use our facilities."

Tony looked up, shocked.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure they're holding me against my will. I'm not allowed to leave. So much for civilian rights," Bruce said.

"And SHIELD needs me. I built you a ship. I run all your security, and I built most of your weapons. Your phone is Stark made. I can leave whenever I want, but I'm here because your pathetic little agency practically _begged_ to have me come and help."

"Yeah, neither of us really _want_ to be here," Bruce said, shrugging.

"Whatever," Surly Stale snapped. "There's no place for traitors, liars, or the _enemy_ on this base. I know you've seen people stare at you." He snarled at Clint.

"It's because you're a freak. No one wants a _freak_ here. You sell us all out, and you sure as hell can't be trusted. Is that what you do, wait for a better offer and leave behind the agency that _made_ you? You backstabbing, murdering, _freak_? I wish you had died. You're useless anyway. A team of superheroes and you're pathetically human. I wish Loki had stabbed you instead of taking you with him, I wish that you were gone. You sold out us, you sold out Coulson, and no one can trust you anymo-"

"Stop. Stop it," Bruce was shaking a little, his fists clenched. Clint's face was white. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare speak about him like that. He's a better agent than you'll ever be, and a better man. He's a good friend, and would never betray this agency. Barton is valuable, _so_ valuable to our team, whom the majority is 'pathetically human'. He's smart, he's fast, he's our best shot, and we couldn't have won without him. Loki is a magical being from a different world. He could have taken Director Fury. I bet you wouldn't be saying this to him. Barton is _good_ at what he does, and he is in no way- _no way_ -responsible for the crimes Loki committed. Don't you dare speak about him like that."

Clint and Natasha stared at their friend whose eyes were shut, fists clenched, taking short bursts of air, trying to calm down. Tony was still on his phone, his face unusually serious, before he started speaking.

"Without Clint's experience we wouldn't have been able to start the prototype on a magic blocking shield. Without Clint, Loki would have escaped. Without him the world would be in ruins, and without him I sure as hell wouldn't be here, ready to save your ass again. And neither would Banner, and neither would Natasha.

"You live in a petty revenge scheme, bent on subtly making him feel useless and unwanted. Your connection to the Agency is weak, pitiful, because you _know_ they manipulate you as easy as they breathe. Sure, try to feel wanted, to feel needed, because it's the only thing keeping you going. They only thing you live for in this place is recognition. A medal, maybe. A way for someone to realize that you're good at what you do. You're wrong.

"You aren't. You're the agent that broke down the firewall two weeks ago. You were only hired because the applicants for the year had been killed in an explosion. You failed high school the first time around, and only your parents money and influence got you into college. You think you're smart, worthwhile, doing something important, when really, SHIELD's using you. Using you because you're stupid, weak, and would do anything for glory.

"You don't want to die, and you know it. You're too cowardly to put yourself in the line of fire, and you were never the guy going to jump on the grenade. You run away from it, and that makes you pathetic and weak. You're insignificant, and that's what you hate the most. You can't stand the thought that someone who _betrayed_ SHIELD has more glory than you, more honour, friends in high places, and a world that owes him their lives.

"You can't stand that it wasn't you. So you're attacking back. Spreading rumours, lies about how he was in control is something a third grade _girl_ does Stale. You're pathetic, you're disgusting, and you will never be anywhere near as good as he is, and that _burns,_ doesn't it? You hate it. You hate that, and you try to cut him down, because as long as someone else hurts more than you, that you make yourself important, someone worthwhile.

"You can live for something. You hate that you don't have something to fight for, and that we have each other.

"Clint's a part of our team, jackass, and if you forget that, then _please_ , try to think of the rest of us. We're his friends, you insufferable jerk. A demigod, a master assassin, a rage monster whose alter ego could kill you will a deadly mix of chemicals, a super soldier who believes in the good in people, and believes that Clint is one of the _best_ people out there, and me, who could destroy your life with a click of a button." Stark held up his phone, where a personnel file was illuminated.

"Magic pisses me off, it really does. But I'd like to see you stop it. Next time Loki's in town, I'll personally see to it he attacks you, and you can do your best, you blithering _idiot_ , to try and stop him."

The agent's face was pale.

Tony stuck his phone back in his pocket, grabbed Bruce and Clint's hands, and dragged them down the hallway, Natasha circling the silent, dumbstruck man, smirking, he flinched as she flicked him in the ear, and walked away. The crowd that had gathered parted to let her through.

* * *

Up in the meeting room, Fury watched on the security feed. Coulson's head was in his hands, words mumbled, but audible as ' _why me? Why is this the team_ I _was put on?'_. Steve was wide-eyed, and Thor was asking to go 'defend his shield brothers honour'.

"No, Thor, sit down." Fury ordered as the door slammed open. Clint, Natasha and Bruce were following a mad Tony.

Steve flinched, and Thor quieted down. Tony had never, _ever_ been mad before, they realized suddenly. He was good naturedly annoyed, talked a lot, scowled and made rude comments, but overall, his temper was surprisingly mild, and he was easy going.

Now he was livid. His face was white, with his cheeks blotted red. His hair was a little messy, and his suit was impeccable. His voice was quiet, and his energy, which usually spread to those around him, like solar flares on the sun, never quite contained to himself, was bundled tightly around him. He shimmered with fury.

"How long has this been happening," he asked, quiet, contained, but with laser sharp eyes, boring a hole into Fury's head. No one answered.

"I know you were watching. I know you know what I'm talking about."

Silence.

"How _long_ , damn it?" Tony exploded, slamming his fist into the desk. Coulson flinched. Actually _flinched_.

"Too long," Fury replied.

"And SHIELD has decided to not do anything? That the integrity of one of its Agents was now...unimportant?" Tony was back to a deadly calm. "Do you not care? Were they saying things that you agreed with?" Fury didn't answer.

Clint looked down.

"Does Agent Barton have a place in SHIELD still?" Tony asked, controlled, on the edge.

"Of course he does, Mr. Stark," Fury snarled back, his voice tight.

"Really?" Tony's voice is mocking, cutting. Fury's eye twitches.

"Of course." Fury repeated.

"A good place? One to trust will actually _support_ him while he puts his life on the line? Or will you ignore things again, lies that are ripping the integrity of this agency apart? SHIELD used to be a government agency that protected it's Agents, Fury."

"It still does."

"Then I suggest that you take more prerogative next time something totally out of line happens like this again."

"Or what, Stark? You're going to throw a hissy fit again?" Fury snapped, angry. Tony laughed, cold, harsh, and chilling.

"You know what they were saying was lies. You didn't have to let it continue. Barton's a good agent, and he's a part of the Avenger's. If _anything_ like this happens again, you have my word; I'll go." Tony said, coldly.

"You're still on a contract Mr. Stark," Coulson spoke up.

"There's a clause. You think I don't read the documents people give me to sign. I do. There's a section that states under extreme circumstances, or in the chance that I feel my work is threatened, or my environment is unstable and dangerous, I may withdraw.

"And unfortunately for you, that would be bad. Technology would be down. I'll take back _my_ weapons, _my_ helicarrier, _my_ quinjets, Iron Man, the _millions_ of dollars funding the Avengers fund, the millions funding SHIELD, I'll remove contracts with you and I will make sure the public knows I don't approve of your agency.

"I'll negotiate terms, and remove the Agents I want from your facility, and use them to their potential, doing what they want. That includes Agent Barton if I feel that it is necessary. Don't forget Fury, that you play your games, you do what you want, but this does not happen again. Because I can _destroy_ you. I can rip SHIELD down from the foundations. And I'll do it without Iron Man. I'll do it as Tony Stark, as that _mortal_ you _despised_ bringing on the team. Iron Man yes, Tony Stark, no, isn't that right Fury? I'll show you how much you want me on your side if this happens again.

"This was unacceptable." Stark finished, snarling, fists shaking.

Steve was leaning back, mouth ope, shock written over his face. Natasha's face was surprised, eyebrows up. Clint's jaw had dropped, and Bruce was smiling a little. Thor look astonished, but a grin was on his face. Coulson was pale, angry, but _proud_. Fury was shaken.

"Noted, Stark." He replied.

"You wanted us to be a team, Fury. You deal with us as a team." Bruce said softly. "You attack one of us, you hit us all."

"We're the Avengers," Tony broke in. "You hurt our team, you can be sure as hell that we will fucking _avenge_ them." He slapped the photo of the man harassing Clint on the table.

"Fire him." Tony straightened his jacket, turned, and left.

Clint gave a mocking salute and followed.

Steve sat gaping.

* * *

TBC!

A couple more chapters left, hoped you enjoyed this one.

Read and Review! let me know what you think :)

I own nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!  
> This story can also be found on fanfiction.net under all the same names


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce considers his new life...and considers the danger he poses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing!  
> One chapter left!

_Everybody's got a dark side_  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side? 

Thor stared after Tony and Clint.

"Our shieldbrother wields words as deadly as his weapons!" He boomed. Fury flinched.

"He was born a business man, of course he does," Natasha replied. "He just has the sense not to try and manipulate us. That's respectable." She turned to Fury.

"Is he actually that integrated into our systems?" She asked.

"To my knowledge," Coulson interrupted, rubbing absently at his healing chest where he had been stabbed, "Mr. Stark was merely a consultant. Unfortunately, he _is_ a genius, and he's improved our security and technology astronomically. He gave the helicarrier and jets to us, we didn't buy them, so they're technically still his. His company shut down weapons production, but people don't realize that Tony Stark still makes weapons. Which is ridiculous, Iron Man _is_ a weapon."

Natasha nodded.

"He was mad." Steve stated, the conversation cut off. Steve looked dumbstruck. "He's never been _mad_ before. But he was right. Clint shouldn't have been left to deal with this alone."

Fury looked furious. "Rogers? Something else to add? And think about whether you're with SHIELD or with Stark before you answer, soldier. So do you want to continue that train of thought?"

"No, sir."

"He was out of line. Don't think this changes anything." Fury snapped. Thor scowled.

"Sir, if I may, Stark, however rudely he presented these ideas, was justified in his words _and_ actions and-"

"-and you are treading that line very carefully Agent Coulson. I would choose your next words carefully if you wish to prolong your presence at SHIELD." Coulson stopped talking, but levelled Fury with a calm stare.

"Man of Fury," Thor broke in. "The son of Coul has been kind in making me comfortable of Midgard. I would be very displeased if something were to happen to him."

"And Tony made it clear he was behind the whole team," Natasha broke in. "That includes Coulson."

It seemed like everyone in the room was in a stand-off, Fury against Natasha and Thor, while Steve sat awkwardly between them.

Bruce swore. Steve jumped.

" _Stop_ it!" he cried. "This is so stupid! You're acting like juvenile children. Can't we just agree to be more honest to each other, and to help each other out, and leave it at that? There's no need to fight. Everyone has good points, but the fact remains that Director Fury had reasons for what he did. We can't pretend we know what his end game is, but for now, can we at least pretend we want SHIELD behind us?"

Fury looked at Banner.

"Thank you for that Banner." He said imperiously in the silence.

"Oh, shut up," Bruce snarled. "I still agree with Tony, I just don't think we need to escalate the situation. I think we should go home and come back later when we've all cooled down a bit."

Fury nodded.

"Go. Coulson, stay a minute." While everyone else left, Fury turned to Coulson.

"Go with them. Keep Stark out of trouble, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. You're officially the in house liaison with the Avengers. Congratulations."

"Sir?"

"Pack your things Coulson. You're going to live at the mansion."

* * *

Tony pulled into the driveway, still scowling. Clint tapped his leg.

He was astonished. He couldn't believe that they had stood up for him like that. Tony pulled into his garage before looking at Clint for the first time.

"Look, man, I'm sorry." Words not often heard from Tony Stark. "I should have asked you what you wanted, and I shouldn't have tried to dictate your life like that. So, sorry, I guess, if I said anything that pissed you off."

"Tony, are you serious? That was awesome. Thanks." The grin faded. "Seriously, it meant a lot. Only Natasha has ever stood up for me like before, and it's hard for her to do it when it's a problem with SHIELD. I appreciate what you and Bruce did and said."

Tony sniffed imperiously, still mad, but cooling off.

"Well, people don't mess with my friends. No one."

He slid out of the car and into the house. Clint was left with a small smile on his face.

When the others got back, Clint had convinced Tony to make dinner instead of a weapon of mass destruction liked he enjoyed doing when he was mad.

Natasha watched the billionaire throw ingredients into a pan, scowling.

"Tony." He didn't look at her.

"Tony!" He jumped.

"For God's sake, Natasha, don't sneak up on me like that! I've _told_ you not to. I have a heart condition!"

"You also have a highly developed piece of technology to stop anything from happening to your heart." She said dryly. "And I didn't sneak, you were just not listening."

"What do you want? I've already apologized to Barton, so whatever you want to say—"

"Shut up. I wanted to say thanks." Her expression softened. "It's hard sometimes to work at SHIELD and back him up. It may not seem like it, but he's the only person I have in my life. He's my only friend, and I'm glad I have someone else to be there sometimes. So, thanks." She nodded and left, Tony staring after her.

She knocked on Bruce's door.

"Come in." He was lying on his floor, staring at the ceiling.

"Stark's had a bad influence on you," she said dryly, but lay down next to him.

"He's not that bad," Bruce said offhandedly. "He put the constellations on the ceiling. It's calming." Natasha was silent, looking at the formations of stars.

"It's beautiful." She said. Bruce smiled.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at SHIELD, and I know that you're better friends with Barton, so I'm sorry if you felt like I was stepping on your toes." He said softly. She smiled.

Out of all of them, Bruce was the one that she was most uncomfortable with. She never had met anything quite as frightening as the Hulk. He embodied the horror stories from her childhood, words of a monster, hidden, disguised, but that could kill you, no matter how strong you were. So you tried to be as strong as possible so you could run. She knew that Bruce as aware of the wary looks that Steve, Thor, and her especially shot his way. They liked Bruce, but he was volatile.

But she thought she was understanding him a bit more now. She understood he wasn't a loose cannon. He had more control than she had thought.

"You apologize a lot." She said softly. Bruce laughed a little.

"I have a lot to be sorry for," he said back.

"Not really," she murmured. "Bruce, you're the most moral person out of all of us, except maybe Steve." Bruce let out a harsh laugh.

"Seriously. Bruce, listen. We were all wrong about Tony. He has a heart, and he's valuable to the team. He's smart, capable, strong, and really good with people when he tries. He's also vulnerable. He's been betrayed so many times, and he's been hurt so much, that he has a heart, yeah, but he hides it an protects it with everything that he is. Somehow, you managed to break past his barriers.

"But Tony killed people, Bruce. No, stop trying to deny it. I'm not saying that he did it directly, not like Clint and I. But he did. He designed weapons, and he's _good_ at it. He may not have been aware of Obadiah selling them, but he could have been. He knew something was off, and as long as he got the profit, he was fine. I'm not saying he was a bad person, just that he was hurting people, even if he _was_ only selling to the government. When he became Iron Man, he changed a lot. For good. I'm glad that he made the lifestyle change, but he still kills when he needs to. He still designs weapons for SHIELD, and for himself. And he is still selfish, and immoral, and terrible with people. Blame it on his childhood, blame it on the general public being light-years behind him in intelligence and technology, sure, but it doesn't change the fact that he can buy his way out of anything and he knows it. He's ruthless, rude, arrogant, and doesn't take care of himself. He manipulates people, and lies, and his whole public image is a persona generated to get the most money and most support possible.

"You're more moral than that. You're honest, and even if you lied, we'd see it on your face. You're kind and have good manners, and treat people right.

"Clint and I are killers. I was trained since I was young. All I know how to do it to get an order and follow it, and I'm _good_ at it. So is Clint. We've both had crap in our lives, and neither of us are afraid of doing something wrong to get the result we want. We both think that people are expendable, if it gets the job done. You're a doctor. You've dedicated your life to saving people."

"I'm not a medical doctor."

"Your research was for the greater good, _doctor_. Does it matter what type you are? Thor is a prince. He was bloodthirsty, trying to get into a war, which is why he was banished. Even Steve served in the war, wanted to, and did whatever he could to get in. You've never tried to hurt or kill like any of us. And that alone makes you a good person."

"The other guy isn't. He's not good, he kills, so _much_. He's a part of me, Natasha, that's not 'moral' to me."

"You saved Tony when he was falling, and last time you hulked out, he didn't hurt anyone. You haven't willingly taken someone's life, Banner. I hope that never happens. I came here to thank you. For standing up for Clint. Thank you, doctor, for being a good person."

Bruce was quiet as she got up and left.

* * *

Coulson slammed the door behind him, depositing he single suitcase on the ground. He turned and found Tony leaning in the doorway.

"You have a room down the hall from Clint and Natasha," Tony said softly. The billionaire handed him a plate of hot food.

"We've all eaten, feel free to use the kitchen." Coulson nodded and headed to the kitchen to sit down.

"I'm sorry," Coulson stopped in his tracks. Tony Stark had never apologized before. Did anger make him more human? Coulson wondered. "I shouldn't have yelled at Fury like that, and you shouldn't be blamed for it. I'm sorry for any inconvenience."

"Thank you," Coulson said. "There's nothing to apologize for Tony. You did the right thing." Tony nodded once at him, dark eyes unfathomable, before disappearing.

* * *

Bruce was on his couch in his living room. Tony sat down next to his friend, leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

"Long day." Bruce said softly. Tony hummed in acknowledgment. "I think you scared Steve." Tony snorted.

"Probably needed to be shown just because we're human doesn't make us useless. They were watching us on the security feed, you know."

"Yeah, I figured they might have been."

"Bring up bad memories?" Tony asked, eyes flitting to Bruce and back to his grasped hands in front of him.

Bruce shrugged.

"Just reminded me of people judging me. Can't say I didn't deserve what they said though."

"No you didn't, Bruce. You're a good person."

"Funny, that's what Natasha said."

"She talked to you? I thought she was actually afraid of you and actively avoiding you."

Bruce grinned a little.

"I thought so too. Apparently she thinks I'm one of the most moral people she's met and wanted to thank me for standing up for Clint."

Tony scowled.

"I just got a thank you. Do you think if I was more self-effacing she would sympathize and say nice things about me?"

Bruce laughed, leaning on Tony's shoulder a little.

"I think we had one of those team moments today that Steve wanted. You know, the ones where we bond and say nice things about each other." Tony's head dropped onto his shoulder, yawning.

"Never thought it would happen because of a stupid agent trashing Clint, I bet." Tony murmured. Bruce leaned back into the sofa, placing his feet up on a table in front of them. Bruce huffed a little laugh.

"Clint said he appreciated it," Tony muttered. "Said it meant a lot we defended him."

"Well, it's not like any of us have had many people to defend us before now," Bruce replied back quietly.

"True." They were quiet for a few moments, and Bruce thought Tony was asleep when suddenly the other man talked again.

"Bruce?"

"Hmm?"

"I'd do the same for you, you know. Even if you left, which would suck, because you're my best friend, but I'd go as far as I needed to."

Bruce felt a wave of emotion push at his heart. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I won't leave, Tony." Bruce whispered. "Not you, not Clint, not if you're here with me. Not now, not ever."

But Tony was already asleep.

* * *

Pepper came home the next day. She smiled at the scene in the living room, snapping a photo. She started to cook breakfast for the group, and the smell roused Natasha. Steve entered from his morning run when the others were coming down, and Pepper motioned for him too to be quiet. He frowned, and she motioned to the living room. Steve poked his head in, his eyebrows shooting up.

"He doesn't sleep a lot," Pepper said softly when he came back. "And when he does it's often not deeply or well. When he's in a good deep sleep I like to let him have as much time as possible." Steve nodded in understanding.

"He gets these nightmares," Pepper said, staring sadly at her hands. "It's why he's awake a lot."

"It's strange," he said softly. "In the course of two days, I see more of Tony Stark then I have in months preceding this. I didn't know he could get that mad, and I haven't seen him this relaxed before." Natasha shrugged a little. They stood silently in the kitchen for a while more, watching Pepper efficiently and quickly make breakfast.

"Coffee?" A voice mumbled from the doorway. Pepper jumped a little, but Coulson, Natasha, Clint, Steve and Thor were unfazed. Tony stumbled into the kitchen looking hazy and tired. Looking at Pepper, an unguarded, genuine smile broke over his face. A smile not seen often, and usually only by Bruce or Pepper, and sometimes Clint. He meandered over to her and buried his head into her neck. She smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, his hands snaking around her waist.

He sighed in contentment.

Bruce walked in behind him, yawning. He smiled at Pepper, who wiggled her fingers back at him.

When Bruce had first come to Stark towers, he felt like he had something worth living for, if only because Tony wasn't afraid of him.

When he solidified his strange, offbeat friendship with the billionaire, he was surprisingly alright with staying for a prolonged period of time. He had never felt safe enough to be around people who understood completely _what_ he was, and still want to be around him, to spend time with him.

Tony gave him something that he never could have dreamed after he was forced to leave Betty, and people knew about the Hulk. He didn't trust himself, but he felt safe.

He knew it was stupid, the Hulk, an indestructible being, afraid and constantly moving, but he was terrified of hurting someone, or destroying something.

Tony laughed at explosions, and had told Bruce, explicitly, that the dangerous people were the ones with the hidden hate, the revenge built up inside of them, waiting to strike when you were your most vulnerable. He explained that the Hulk was easy to understand, to predict, and that at least when Bruce hulked, he would have warning, and besides, the Hulk liked Tony, so who cared?

Clint had said something along the same lines, and the two of them made him feel _safe_. Like a child in his mother's arms, or being wrapped in a warm blanket, with no worries in the world.

He told Steve once, that he was always angry. In reality, he was always aware.

Aware of the threat, aware that he could kill everyone he loved, his team, his new _family_ , just by being mad.

He was aware that he was a monster.

When Tony prodded him, and teased him, calling him rude names, and pushing him, he felt _grateful_. Because no one would be crazy enough to push a monster, not unless they were Tony Stark, apparently. But in those times, Tony made him forget. He forgot he had a time bomb waiting to explode inside of him, forgot he was different from everyone else, that he was dangerous, that he was a killer. Tony's rare, warm smile, made Bruce forget that the Hulk was raging, trying to escape.

Or maybe, Bruce reasoned, Tony made the Hulk happy. The other guy had saved Tony's life, and showed a fondness towards his two friends.

With Tony, he acknowledged the Hulk and Bruce. They were always together, but they were separate as well.

Tony understood the Hulk had feelings...amplified though they may be. Tony _understood_ that the Hulk needed someone as well. Sure, Betty was there for Bruce, and he appreciated that, really. Steve, Natasha, Thor, Coulson, they all were there for Bruce. But they weren't there for the Hulk.

Bruce liked being acknowledged for something other than his alter ego. Yet, the Hulk didn't.

So Tony, being Tony, patted the on the arm, said, thoroughly impressed, 'good smashing', and the Hulk had preened.

So maybe it was that with Tony, the Hulk _liked_ him, and didn't _want_ to smash. Didn't want to come out and obliterate him.

Tony liked sitting on the Hulk after a mission, claiming to be tired.

Then Clint joined their merry band of misfits, and the Hulk would have Iron Man sitting on an arm, where the Hulk would cradle him, or fly around his head, and Hawkeye would scramble over the Hulk, totally fearless.

The Hulk liked them, and that made him happy. Made him docile even when Clint and Tony were pushing, trying to get Bruce to swear, or act out.

And Bruce would smile, because _only_ these two could make the Hulk smile, and _only_ these two brought a measure of peace to Bruce unlike any he'd known before. _Only_ these two _idiots_ would be brave enough, _foolish_ enough to entertain a friendship with Banner and the Hulk, and make both feel included, welcome, and wanted.

So Bruce would relax if Clint was there, shooting jokes off as quickly as his arrows, flashing quicksilver grins at Bruce, and ragging on anyone who looked vaguely wary around Bruce.

Even Natasha.

Bruce was convinced Clint had a death wish, but said nothing when the archer loudly remarked Bruce wasn't going to flip out when she handed him a plate. Bruce had snorted, Natasha looked angry, embarrassed, and vaguely guilty, but just flipped Clint off, tentatively patted Bruce's shoulder, and walked away.

Clint made them more open to Bruce, because if the two most aggravating people on the team could reach a rage monster, then surely he was in good control.

Bruce would relax when Tony barged into his lab, talking a mile a minute, or grabbed Bruce and drag him outside, because Tony loved the stars, something no one else knew. Bruce would sit quietly, and if Tony wanted to talk, he would. If he had nothing to say, for once in his life he was quiet.

The stars would twinkle down at them, Bruce would gain a measure of peace and contentment from looking at them, and also Tony. Tony, whose kinetic, eclectic energy slowed, condensed and flickered out, just for a while. Just while they were on the roof. Just when the stars, and Bruce were there with him.

Bruce didn't understand it, not really, but lay quietly next to his best friend, and waited until Tony either went back inside, or they both fell asleep.

Bruce found peace when Tony and Clint were there, because they were there for him, Bruce Banner. They were there to be his friend, because they genuinely liked him as a person. But they also liked the Hulk, and that made all the difference.

So walking into this kitchen scene, he smiled at Pepper. Tony and Pepper were a package; one didn't come without the other. Sort of like Tony and Bruce, now, or Tony and Clint.

The first time Bruce met Pepper was after the attack. They had all been walking back to Tony's tower, where the lights were actually working well, compared to the rest of the city.

"Good advertising," Tony had commented offhandedly. They had filed silently upstairs, Clint and Natasha sticking close, Steve looking tired and walking next to an enthusiastic Thor. Bruce and Tony were walking together, but when they entered a common space, the sharp click of heels made everyone stop.

Natasha grinned.

And a woman looking formidable with red hair swept into the room. Her eyes travelled over them all, bloodshot and red though they were. They landed on Tony, and tears welled up again.

"Pepper!" He had sounded delighted, and Bruce was looking between the two people. This woman obviously knew him.

"You made me cry," she said, not sounding too annoyed. "I hate it when you do that." Tony looked sheepish.

"I didn't mean to, not really, I mean, I didn't even know you knew what was going on, though of course, what was I thinking, you always know." Tony said. Steve was looking more alert, and Natasha was still smirking.

The woman...Pepper walked up to Tony. And slapped him. Steve started, and Thor looked shocked.

"You remind me of the Lady Sif!" He boomed. Pepper ignored him in favour of hugging Tony. His hands pulled her in tight, and his arms anchored her. Bruce watched as she pulled back, scowling through her tears.

"A phone call?" She asked, her voice breaking a little. Tony had deflated. He sent her a look that seemed to mean _later_ , and turned a smile to the fellow Avengers.

"This is Pepper, my girlfriend. Pepper, this is the team. Guys, rooms are available if you want to stay, I'm going up. Pepper?" Pepper had said nothing, given a watery smile and left with Tony.

She was brave, but she was more human than the rest of them. She was formidable, and she was funny. She was confident, capable, beautiful, and immediately accepted into their family. She was a hero in her own rights.

Pepper had never even flinched at Bruce.

"I've put up with Tony for years, Bruce. Nothing you do or say can faze me at this point," she had said dryly after he asked her why she accepted him so easily. Why she was like Tony, like Clint, sliding into a friendship with no regard to the damage that could be done.

At those words, he had relaxed, not like he could with her boyfriend, but enough he would laugh and smile, and feel like he was home.

Bruce remembered the first time he spent any significant amount of time with Clint.

"When you turn into the Hulk," Clint had asked, leaning in, not wary, but curious, "does it hurt a lot? Or do you feel that weird tingling feeling you get after you've stayed still too long and your foot had fallen asleep and then you move it and little needles inside your foot stab at you till you've hopped it off?"

Bruce blinked.

"Um...no?" He answered.

"To what?" Clint looked mildly irritated at the answer.

"To both. It's like, when you're stretching, and you aren't very flexible, 'cause you haven't stretched in a while and your muscles strain, and ache, and yeah, it hurts a bit, but I'm used to it by now."

Clint had looked fascinated. "What if you try stretching more?"

* * *

The first time the three of them were together, Clint and Tony, who were fast friends because they could snark like no other, Bruce was pissed and trying to cook something, but Tony's stove was not working properly. He finally slammed down the pan, swear words spilling from his mouth.

Turning, he expected fearful looks, or a wariness, the fight or flight response kicking in. Instead, Tony bounded forward and turned on the stove, patting him while he laughed.

Clint snorted.

"Anger management, much." He said. "It's just a pan, man, what's it done to you?"

Bruce had stared at their casual indifference, but said nothing, smiled, and turned back to the stove.

* * *

Bruce was terrified the first time he tried to leave. It wasn't because of the Hulk, or something the other guy had done. No, it was because it was when he realized he was forming serious bonds with the team, and this level of friendship terrified him. He knew that they would realize he was a monster, and leave him. Hurt him, and leave. So he tried to leave first.

But he had become so comfortable and at home with first Tony and Pepper, then Clint, and then the rest of the team, and finally Coulson, that he had ignored the vague warning signs that he got when he wanted to move on.

When Bruce first wanted to leave, it had nothing to do with anything he did.

In fact, it was Tony's fault.

Which it usually was.

Tony worked hard, Bruce knew that. Clint knew that, and so did Pepper. They all knew he worked hard, but not to what extent.

But everyone knew he slept at weird times and sometimes not at all, and inhaled coffee.

They all knew he had a job besides the Avengers.

They knew that SHIELD was bugging him for more and more weapons, upgraded technology, and _more, more, more._

They knew that Iron Man was frequently training with them, and working with them, cleaning up and fighting.

They knew Tony spent time with Pepper, taking her out, and doing couply things that they wanted to.

They knew that he spent time with Bruce, in the lab, or outside, hanging out, or doing experiments together.

They all knew Tony spent time with Clint, watching him at the range, or going out into New York, or playing pranks on the rest of them.

They knew Tony tried to get to as many team events, like movie nights, or _Introduce Thor and Steve to Midgard/Earth 2012_.

They knew that he was their press deflector, going to events to promote their team constantly, and also going to events for his own company.

They knew he made them small upgrades, just because he thought they would like it, and because, he claimed, they needed him.

They knew he spent time on his suit.

They knew all this, and no one really thought about how putting all this work together was hard, for anyone.

So when Tony collapsed, Bruce thought about _why_ , and wasn't really surprised.

It was a warm day, and Tony had staggered upstairs again, everyone ignoring the fact he probably hadn't slept again. Clint had smiled at him distractedly, and Steve just passed him eggs.

"You have a board office meeting today, Tony, at eleven. You have a meeting with SHIELD at two, and you have a charity dinner to attend tonight," Pepper told him efficiently. "Be there." She kissed his cheek and disappeared.

Tony had gone to his press event, and Bruce picked him up from his company at one thirty. Tony had sunglasses on, hiding his eyes.

He was quieter than usual.

At the SHIELD meeting, Fury pushed Stark's buttons again. The billionaire had stood up, pointing at Fury, ranting, before he suddenly faltered. Steve frowned in concern, and Bruce felt panic welling up inside of him as Tony's face whitened, and he pitched forward. Steve caught him, laying him down, pulling off his glasses.

Tony's eyes were closed, the paleness of his skin, and dark circles accentuated.

"He doesn't look well," Natasha had murmured. Bruce was gripping Tony's hand, fingers on his pulse. Fury called for medics.

Bruce fought the rising nausea as his friend was taken away from him. Watching Tony being carried away made him realize how much he liked the man.

 _What if he doesn't get better?_ Bruce had thought. The horror of how close he was, how his life had been influenced, hit him.

His breaths got shorter.

He couldn't depend on other people.

They had proven that, proven that they didn't like _him_ , didn't stay around. Bruce couldn't stay, he had _known_ that, and now, now he was attached.

He would leave, he had decided. As soon as he knew how Tony was.

* * *

 _Exhaustion, malnutrition, dehydration, accumulation of stress_...the nurse rattled out what caused Tony's collapse.

The team had gathered in Tony's room, two days after he had collapsed. Bruce had been there the whole time except to eat and shower. Pepper was in and out, dealing with press and business, but looking strained and pale. Clint was flitting around the hospital, looking uncomfortable, but staying and sitting with Tony, talking to him softly, and spending time with Bruce, but going home at night.

Today, they were all there. Thor was quiet. Steve looked sick. Bruce was nervous, his hands shaking. Pepper was there, holding Tony's hand.

Tony, who had IV's sticking out of him, and machines beeping around him. His eyes were still closed.

 _He's not on sedatives,_ the nurse had said, _he's just exhausted_.

"This is our fault," Steve said hoarsely. Pepper glanced up at him.

"Hardly." She snapped. "He pushed too far this time, it's his fault. I'm not saying you shouldn't have realized, because you should have. _I_ should have. It's his fault he pushed, my fault I didn't realize." She looked down at his hand in hers.

"Look, Tony forgets a lot, about normal human behaviours. So I try to feed him and remind him to join the living world whenever I can. He doesn't sleep well. He still has these dreams," Pepper said, biting her lip. "I try to be there, when he wakes up. Makes the memories not so bad, I think. I try to be there when he's awake at all really, to remind him he has to _live_ , but..."

But Pepper was busy, the team thought. She couldn't be there all the time.

"I try, but he's stubborn." She said softly.

"We'll lighten his load," Steve promised her.

"That's not all that has to happen," Clint mumbled. Eyes snapped to him. He looked at his friend while he spoke. "Look, he's too busy. Steve and someone else can front the Avengers press and events, he doesn't have to do that anymore. He can hire R&D staff, he can cut back on patrols and clean up. He can stop making multiple projects for SHIELD, and we can stop forcing him to participate even when he says he's busy. We can cook, and take it down to him when he's busy, and when Pepper isn't there, we can remind him he's human. We'll be a team, Captain, like you've wanted for a while. We'll be a team, and part of being a team is taking care of our members."

Clint's quiet but firm voice cut through the sterile hospital room.

Steve nodded, blue eyes earnest. Thor was quiet.

"I agree, that's what we should do."

"What who should do?" A gravelly voice interrupted.

"You need to sleep more, for one," Pepper reprimanded immediately. "God Tony, don't scare me like that! Why didn't you say you needed to some off?"

"Don't like inconveniencing you," Tony mumbled. Bruce squeezed his hand. The panic he had felt when Tony collapsed eased a little.

He held onto Tony's hand like a lifeline, Pepper gently resting her hand on his arm.

He held on, because he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold on this any longer. He held on for now, because he knew, in his heart, he was going to have to let go.

* * *

When Tony was released from the hospital, he was still quiet.

Bruce wasn't sure why, but he thought it was either because Tony hated showing a weakness to him team, or because of the argument he and Cap had gotten into.

" _You can't keep doing this, Tony. We need to conscious on the missions." Cap said efficiently. "Exhaustion is a liability."_ Tony snapped, words pouring out of him.

He had lashed out at Steve, who stood still while Tony's words about how he _needed_ to do the work he did, and he knew when to back off, and not to worry, he wouldn't be a _fucking_ liability, because he knew when to stop.

" _Like you did last week? That wasn't stopping from my point of view, Tony."_

" _I'm not_ weak _, Steve_."

Bruce watched his friend flinch subtly at words the Captain said in his twenty minute lecture, words Steve didn't mean to cut deep, words Steve didn't mean to make Tony think he was being told the team thought the billionaire was weak.

When he got home, Bruce sat with his friend.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said softly, and patted Tony's hand. Tony smiled a little and turned back to his tablet.

* * *

Bruce left.

Well, he _tried_ to leave, rather.

He had said his soft goodbyes, in his own way. They would understand. But he knew the longer he stayed, the more danger his team-his _friends_ were in. He had to let them go, because he couldn't endanger them like this. Couldn't force them to be his friend, to put up with him longer than they had to.

He had a bag packed of things he would need, and he had left his StarkPhone upstairs on his bed.

He got to the door when Natasha stepped in front of him.

"Where are you going?" She asked softly.

"I can't stay here. I can't risk you like this."

"Like what? Last injury I saw was Tony passing out because he's an idiot who can't take care of himself properly."

"And what if I lost him? Natasha, Tony's been my first friend in _years_. I'm _so_ grateful for him. Him and Clint are the only things keeping me here, really, and honestly, I need to go, _please_."

"He's your friend, Bruce, he wouldn't want you to leave."

"But I need to."

"Stay for Clint and Tony then, they're still here. Why aren't they good enough anymore?"

"You don't understand. Tony passing out made me think...emotions, bad ones, anger, fear, _pain_ make the Other Guy come out. He looked like he was dead, and logically, I knew he'd be fine, but what if he died? What if Clint died? What if you, or Steve, or Pepper, or Thor died? I couldn't do it Natasha, I couldn't stay calm and I would hurt people, more than would be needed. I have to go before I get too close that I can't." Bruce pleaded.

"Bull. Fearing the Other Guy? That's not what's making you leave," she snapped. "Bruce, we _want_ you to stay. Why are you so afraid?"

"You know my past, Nat," He said softly, his bag slipping from his shoulder. Natasha guided him to a soft chair. "You know about my parents, how my dad beat my mom in front of my eyes, and then me, and I grew up afraid. For her, for me, and then he was gone. But so was she. After that I've never really had anyone else. Betty was there, but she was afraid of me, and so was everyone else. I can't really remember when I haven't been afraid." His hands trembled a little, when a warm hand gripped his palm.

He smiled at her, a shaky, uncertain smile.

"Then I meet all of you. Clint was an orphan, and people never really gave a shit, and I got that. Everyone thought Tony Stark, of all people, would have had a good childhood, but he told me stories more like my own, some that make even me wince. I didn't have to be afraid of my past anymore. I didn't have to worry about my back-story condemning me. I could focus on the present, for the first time. I wasn't worrying about my future, my past, or anything. And the scariest thing, working with Tony, hanging out with those two _idiots_ , is that they made me not afraid. For the first time in my _life_ , Nat, I wasn't afraid. And I thought it could be fine."

"What changed?" Natasha asked.

"Tony. I mean, he's the best friend I've been waiting for my entire life. Clint too. Those two barged their way into my life and won't get out. I love Pepper like a sister, because she's not afraid either, and Steve, because he's always nice, and kind, and I know, that no matter what, he's got my back. Thor, because he wants to spar with me all the time, says 'I'm a veritable opponent'. _You_ , because despite how terrible I was playing on your fear of me when we first met, you stuck through with it. I almost killed you, and you have every right to get me kicked out of this team, of this tower. But you didn't. And I know you're afraid, but the fact that you try, every day, is one of the nicest things anyone has done. Clint would shoot these stupid arrows around me, and he likes pulling me out of the lab to go do some cheesy New York thing with Steve because he thinks it's funny to hear Steve's commentary on how things have changed. And he doesn't think about the Other Guy, because that wasn't who he dragged upstairs to hang out with. Tony, because he's there for both of us, and he gets me, and I love him like a brother.

"But when he collapsed, it made me realize. I thought I wasn't afraid, but I was. I was terrified for his health, don't get me wrong, but just thinking about the team. I thought I was happy and not afraid being around you all, that it was the first time I could not be stressed and worried. But I was. I was terrified. I _am_ terrified. Every day, every time you or Clint go on a mission, or when Steve blanks out because he has these memories, or he gets a little more lost in 2012, I get afraid. When Thor leaves, or Coulson rubs his chest, I get _scared_. When Clint jumps off the roof, because he thinks I'll catch him, or Tony pokes me, I'm thankful I have friends who trust me, but I'm afraid I'll let them down. When Tony has a nightmare, or drinks a little too much, I get reminded of how fragile this team is. We're different, we're 'superheroes', but we're fragile. In ways the enemy doesn't know."

"And you're afraid."

"Afraid for you. Afraid that the Other Guy will come out. Afraid for myself, for New York, for the team. For Clint, and for Tony. And I realized that I didn't understand I was afraid before, because before I was always stressed and unhappy. But I'm _happy_ here. And that terrifies me. That you've all gotten under my skin, stopping me from leaving, it terrifies me that I might stay and then I can't save the world from myself. So I have to leave. Before Tony gets better and gives me that stupid, happy smile that he doesn't get enough, or before Clint interrupts me to tell me a stupid joke that isn't funny. Before Steve gets that half amused, half confused look on his face, and before Thor challenges me to another duel. Before you let me choose the movie, or what food to eat because you're scared of me, but willing to stick around anyway. Before I'm convinced to stay, I have to leave."

"Bruce..."

"This was great, Natasha. This team was a family I never had. You make me feel safe, happy and _wanted_. But I can't stay and hurt you. I can't stay if I'm this terrified of being grounded."

"Bruce, we need you." She said softly. "Look. I think this is more words than you've ever said to me before, and I get that I'm not Clint or Tony and I don't know how to convince you. But here's the thing. I get you're scared of hurting us, and I get you're scared of having friends to worry about. But isn't that what friendship is? Being worried for the other people? Maybe we don't all want to admit it, but we'd all die for each other, because somehow, we've all grown to _care_. And you have to accept that it might be a possibility that we die. And you have to accept that we could throw ourselves out on the line for you. Because as much as you're afraid of needing us, as much as you want to cut ties before we become too close that you can't, trust me on the fact that sometimes it's scary. Letting one of us go might be in your future. But this _fear_ of being attached to someone is damn well _not_ going to be the reason we lose someone on our team _."_

"But one day, I could _kill_ one of you. And the worst thing in the world to happen after someone's death because of me, is losing all of your friendship because of that. The betrayal, the fear, the hate will come, and I don't think I could deal with that if I stayed. So I have to go."

"No." Natasha glared. "We care about you Bruce. You would never do that. Neither of you would. I get you're scared, but you can't leave. You're afraid of needing us, but we're all afraid of things too Bruce. And we need you. So you can't leave. You're a friend, you're a part of the team, and all of us will fight as hard as we need to save you. Even if it's from yourself." She stood up and sighed.

"Bruce, I don't know what to say. Stay. Talk to Tony because for godforsaken reason you calm down around the man who literally lives to bother people. Talk to him, and if you still want to leave after that, then you have to tell him and Clint, because trust me when I say this, they would be devastated if you left. They would never stop trying to find you, and bring you home."

She touched his cheek briefly, and left.

His hand raised to touch his cheek when her hand had lingered, and only then did he realize his face was wet.

* * *

The next day, Natasha smiled at Bruce, who gave a small smile back. He hugged her, and she didn't even tense, reaching to squeeze lightly back.

"Thanks," he whispered. She smiled. Bruce walked up to Clint and Tony, and asked to talk to them. They nodded, and disappeared in the direction of Tony's lab.

If over the next few days, Tony followed Bruce with a doleful expression, Natasha said nothing, but smiled mysteriously.

Bruce felt relaxed again, the terror of losing them subsiding. Natasha was finally looser around Bruce, calmer and not afraid. He was still a bit tense, and after another mission, the whole team was a bit high-strung. Unfortunately, Tony and Clint took this as an invitation.

SHIELD history was made. They realized the purple didn't come out, and a few computers were smashed were agents had destroyed them in their shock and fear. Of all the surprises, one of the biggest ones was when Steve laughed for about five minutes seeing a shocked Agent Hill with purple splashes in her hair, some liquid dripping down her uniform, a suctioned arrow on her forehead, and her gun pointed at her computer which was blasting 'Purple Haze' with shocking graphics popping up over monitors all over the room. That's when everyone connected the dots. The mysterious liquid that hardened, and got _everywhere_ , the arrows, the deadly accuracy, and the technology turning on them. Somehow, Clint and Tony got _Bruce Banner_ helping them with their pranks. Fury was yelling for ten minutes.

It wasn't as intimidating with a purple hand shaped blob over the side of his face _without_ an eyepatch, meaning he walked into a few things before getting the purple monstrosity off. Tony was shaking with silent laughter, and Clint wasn't even bothering to cover it up. Bruce had a mischievous smile that worried Coulson, and Steve was _laughing_.

* * *

Martin gaped at the gates.

"Um, delivery," He squeaked. The man on the speaker replied.

"Of course, please enter."

Martin drove his car into the lavish gates that separated the huge mansion from the rest of civilization. He parked and carried the huge order up to the door. Soon heavy footsteps were heard, and Martin's eyes widened. The door opened and he looked up and the person in front of him. Dressed in a shirt that read, _Bazinga!_ , and flannel pants, the man was still intimidating. Long blonde hair and _huge_ muscles, as well as a beaming smile.

"Welcome boy of deliveries!" He boomed. "Please, enter our abode!" Martin nodded dumbly and stepped forward.

"Hey, pizza's here!" Another man peered around a corner. "NAT! Pizza!" He yelled.

"Coming!" A girl called back down the stairs. The man came out, a gun holstered neatly on his hip, and was that an arrow he was twirling in his fingers?

"Awesome, man, I'm starving." The man with the arrow snatched a box and opened it. "Steve, did you order the Hawaiian?" He called out from the table he had carried the box to. Martin expected the man with hair to answer. A woman in a plaid shirt and jeans bounded down the stairs, her hair pulled back.

Another man walked into the room.

"What? No, I don't like Hawaiian," this one was tall, with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He smiled at Martin.

"Thanks!" He sounded sincere. Martin nodded dumbly. The tall, cheerful one with hair clapped a hand on Martin's shoulder. He buckled under the weight.

"You have provided us with a bountiful meal!" The man boomed.

Martin nodded.

"You're hurting him, Thor," The red haired woman said casually, sounding bored. Her back was turned, and instead she was going through the pizza boxes.

The hand disappeared from his shoulder immediately.

"I apologize, Midgardian!" The man with hair—Thor?—boomed. "I forget that not all are as strong as Steven or the mighty green warrior."

Martin stared at the bow and arrow man poked the red haired woman who casually fended it off without looking with a knife she had pulled from somewhere. The gun was still on the man's hip, and there was a hammer leaning against the wall. Another woman with longer red hair had wandered in with a phone in her hand. Another man followed her looking a little awkward. His curly hair was disheveled, and he smiled at the red haired woman with a knife and nodded to the rest of them.

Martin watched as the curly haired man sat, distancing himself from the others. The long haired woman sat the closest to him and looked up at Martin.

"Tony will be up soon, and he'll pay you." She said, comfortingly. Martin nodded dumbly as they sat around a table and passed plates out to each other. The arrow man sat next to the knife wielding woman, talking to her in a low voice. The two blonde men sat next to each other, one telling a 'glorious' tale, and the other woman sat next to the curly haired man, with a space between them. Another man wearing a suit, looking tired, and older than the rest of them slid in next to 'Steve' and the arrow man. They all shifted to give him more space, and they all seemed comfortable. They seemed to be close.

A hand dropped on Martin's shoulder, making him jump.

"Pizza! Awesome! Hawaiian's mine!" The voice said cheerfully.

The arrow man snorted. "Of course it is. That's _terrible_ taste, Tony," he said derisively. The man behind Martin scoffed.

"Whatever. More for me!" He slid past Martin whose mouth dropped open at seeing _Tony Stark_ grinning at him.

"Hi, Martin!" Stark said, squinting at his name badge. Money was pressed into his hand. Martin looked down to see a roll of twenties, far more than he was owed, and raised his hand to count out the amount. Stark shook him off. "Don't worry about it. Keep it as a tip!" He clapped Martin on the shoulder. "Thanks," Then Tony Stark shot him another grin and slipped in between the red haired girl who put down her phone and kissed his cheek, and the curly haired man who leaned in a little closer to the new arrival. The man with the arrow pointed at Stark and said something in a low voice. Stark replied with a grin. They looked like family.

Laughter followed Martin out the door.

Dumbfounded he drove back to his work. His boss scowled.

"Where were you?" Martin looked at his friend Carl.

"I just delivered pizza to Tony Stark," Martin said hoarsely. "And there was a man named Thor there, and this chick with a knife, and a dude with an arrow, and shit, I'm losing my mind, aren't I?"

Carl said nothing, only pulled to tip, which was four hundred dollars, out of his friends pocket.

"This isn't fake, man," Carl said solemnly. He grinned. "That's awesome!"

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it all falls apart, somehow they manage to keep it all together.

_Don't run away_  
Don't run away  
Just tell me that you will stay  
Promise me you will stay  
Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just promise me you will stay  
Promise me you will stay 

He had waltzed in looking bored, as he was wont to do.

"So what's the deal here?" He asked, nonchalantly, his eyes flitting from one team member to another.

"The deal was that you came with us, and we let them go."

"You don't even _have_ them," Tony pointed out.

It was true. Clint and Natasha had been restrained, and Thor had let go of his hammer and been drugged, and Banner stood trembling, but in control. They only stood down because Steve told them told. Steve who had a gun against his head, who looked vaguely sick, and a bit bloody.

"They are soldiers, Stark. Those who are not are good men, and will listen to their leader. As will you,"

The thing was, Tony knew that when it came down to it, no matter who he was, Steve would always take the route that led to less damage, a smaller amount of collateral damage. Right now, for them, it meant complying to the wishes of this group.

It started when Tony was in Cairo for business, and the Avengers were called out. Steve had been caught, pistol whipped in the head, disorienting him. With the leader with a gun to his head, SHIELD had ordered a stand down to Clint and Natasha, who were captured by default so they didn't threaten Steve's life. With the three of them out of the picture, Banner and Thor had been tranq'ed, and when they had woken up, Banner's sense of justice, and good sense allowed him to realize the Hulk wouldn't help. Steve told Thor to hold, and so, he had. Bruce shook with silent anger, but he had a hold of his emotions. Of course, everyone knew that a gunshot into Steve's head would release the Hulk. That's why there were men poised around Bruce and Thor with tranq guns.

So they had been threatened, and made a phone call.

That's where Tony came in.

With their weapons removed, and forced into a room with gunmen trained on them all, the situation was pretty dire. But what these freaks wanted wasn't the Avengers. They wanted Tony. Tony who had been in Japan on a business trip.

So Tony came. Tired, angry and strung out, he came.

Now they were all defenceless, but Tony would be _damned_ if he didn't go down without a fight. And they didn't know how _hard_ he would fight.

So here he stood.

Clint watched as his friend threw his suit jacket carelessly on the floor and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

"The deal was me for them. I'm fine with that. Makes me feel special." Tony grinned a little. Clint's eyes twitched as Tony dramatically looked around.

"I'm outgunned! I'm outnumbered. I'm in an unfortunate situation because you have my team at your mercy. But you forgot a few things," Tony said conversationally.

"Shut up, Stark," The goon with his gun to a woozy Steve's head growled.

"Would you want me to shut up if when I do, a little girl named Anna, who's playing in her backyard with her mom Sarah suddenly was in this same situation?" Tony asked. The man paled.

"You wouldn't do anything to her," he said, face white.

"No, look, it's funny, sometimes, how people forget things about me. One, I'm a genius. Seriously, people forget that one compulsively!" Tony laughed a little, a sharp, brittle sound that made Clint flinch. A small robot crawl out of his collar, worming its way to the ground.

Tony watched impassively as it wove its way over to a gunman.

"I asked the military to fund me in this project years ago, when I was still the 'Merchant of Death'," Tony said, a little dreamily, another robot scuttling over his fingers.

They were small, and compact, with legs like a centipedes.

"They said 'no'. Most people are deterred by that, but fortunately, I have enough money to fund myself in anything I want. I still make things today that the military would love, but we don't sell weapons anymore," Tony continued. "It's for the best, really. I mean, these are a little angry sometimes." He gave a dreamy smile as a few more crawled out of his shirt.

"I will shoot him, Stark," the man growled.

"No you won't," Tony said confidently. "Apparently you need me. You want me which means you want information or me to do something for you. You won't kill me, and I assure I will kill myself I you touch one of them. And your daughter. And I can tell you're interested. Tony Stark, at your mercy, and willing to do whatever to get you to let them go, even give myself up. You're curious, because you aren't the ones who want me. You're passing me on to someone else, so this just _fascinates_ you. Tony Stark's secret past? That's juicy stuff. I was kidnapped for my brains once. Well, not really," he reconsidered. "They were going to kill and they just changed their mind. The point is, I need you to know, I don't really trust people," Tony said a little quieter, a little dangerously. Clint realized that as much as they all thought they knew Tony, there were depths to the man that none of them realized.

"I mean, I guess it started when my parents forgot me in another country and didn't realize it for a week. My dad gave me cracked ribs and a broken wrist that time for not being able to figure out how to get back home myself. I was four." He said, inspecting one of the creatures. "After that it escalated. I didn't have friends growing up, because I would jump grades, and was sent off to different schools, and never stayed in one place. I didn't have a father most of the time because he was searching for a certain super soldier that _I_ found years later. When he was around he wasn't the nicest person,"

Clint felt a little sick about how Tony was calmly telling this man about his life, things he hadn't divulged to even Clint. He shot a glance at a pale looking Steve who seemed hurt over the fact Tony didn't have a father around because of him.

"Later I just figured it was who I was. I kept secrets because that was the only part of me that stopped me from going crazy. The media had my life displayed for everyone to see, and I had nothing of myself left. So I made secrets and an identity to give them, and I made the real me be the part that helped stay grounded. Problem was the real me was depressed and suicidal." Tony sauntered closer and held out a wrist. A strange, bitter smile twisted his lips.

"Scars are still there," he said, gesturing to his wrist. Clint's face was white, and Natasha was looking horrified, her normally impassive mask cracking.

"When I finally got the company, I got Pepper." A dreamy smile crossed his face when he thought about Pepper. "I got to be happy for the first time in years. But then I had a company to run, and Obadiah was great, really. He was like the father I never had. So, I have to admit, it was a little hurtful when he hired a terrorist group to kill me, and then tried to kill Pepper when I came back. I had to kill the man I considered to be closer to me than my real father, you know. Rhodey stole my suit, I mean I set it up that he would, because people are _so_ predictable, but having your best friend betray you, even if you plan it hurts a bit, you know?"

Tony scuffed his shoe. His dark eyes flickered up.

"So what I'm getting at is I don't really trust people. There are so many people I trust with my life," he said quietly. "Every day I go out I trust people with my life. That's not a big deal. There are precisely four people in the world I've ever trusted with my heart," he said a little quieter. "Now you," Tony pointed grandly at the man standing in front of him, who swallowed. His grip on Steve slackened a little, and Clint grinned. "You have the _audacity,_ " Tony snarled, "to kidnap two of them."

"So I have trust issues, I'm suicidal, and I have more issues with family that Oprah has followers." He smiled a little maniacally. "But the thing is people forget things about me a lot.

"For example. I killed people. A _lot_ of them, indirectly, with my weapons before I was Iron Man. People know that and hate me for it. Fine, whatever. So the worlds things I was a bad person then. Well, they're idiots. I built a suit and killed people directly with the suit. And suddenly I'm a hero. I escape Afghanistan by blowing up a terrorist cell, which had a hell of a lot of people in it. I come home, and the first thing I do is kill a bunch of people in a town, and blow up my old weapons which took out a fair number of people with them. Second thing I do is kill a father figure in my life. So I kill more people knowingly _now_ than I did before and people _love_ me for it."

He grins a little.

"Before, I was the Merchant of Death, and now I'm a hero. I'm a hero because I killed a lot of people. People think that I'm sensitive to death or whatever. That's not it. I've killed without abandon. I killed my first person when I was young. Took self defence classes, someone tried to hurt me so I stabbed them to death with a screwdriver."

Tony gestures to his teammates.

"They stood down because they are good soldiers. Bruce doesn't Hulk out because he's a good man." Tony's grin goes gleeful, and Clint sees his rock forward on the balls of his feet.

"They stand down, but what the hell made you think I was a soldier? I have _problems_ with people in authority. And I know for a fact that I sure as _hell_ am not a good person. What's stopping _me_ from killing you?"

"You can't," The man looked a little nervous.

Tony's eyebrows shot up. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man. His hand was steady.

"Bad idea," the man said. "You can't shoot, you'd hit Captain America here."

Clint felt a cold chill creeping over him at Tony's next words.

"Another misconception. I didn't become a weapons manufacturer by not knowing my way around weapons. I didn't spend hours at a shooting range when I was young to watch other people, I did it to learn how to shoot, and sometimes, envision people I hated stood in front of me. I didn't learn martial arts and karate because I needed something to get me away from my father, I did it because I would get beat up if I couldn't defend myself.

"And Iron Man doesn't fucking shoot itself! I aim to kill every time I go out with the Avengers." Tony exploded. "That's not the point though."

He gestured to the robots scuttling on the ground.

"Your guards didn't see these little buddies scale the walls behind them. They also got through because I killed them. Your guards, that is." Tony looked at him mockingly.

"Want to know what these babies really do?" He smiled dreamily again. "They're really beautiful." Clint watched as his friend made a small gesture with his hand, sending the robots up the legs of gunmen.

His smile was frightening.

"They eat you." Stark sounded eerily calm while Clint started. "From the inside out," Stark gave a short laugh. "I took an anatomy class in MIT, because I was bored. I know what nerves attack to get the most pain from an attack, and I know how to kill someone slowly and painfully from the inside out. But I also know how to program these lovelies to only attack my _enemies_. Like this," He said brightly. A robot plunged down the mouth of a gunman.

His gun clattered to the ground. His knees hit, his hands flying up, eyes huge with pain.

Even Natasha flinched at the scream that followed. Thor's eyes were round watching the man cough up blood, watching the man writhe in agony, screams tearing out of him.

A gunshot cut through the horrified tension, getting the man in the middle of his forehead. The screams had been cut off so suddenly that the silence that followed was almost overwhelming.

"Like them? They also restrain people. Pain without death," Tony looked thrilled as the robots took down the other hired guns in the room with screams and shrieks cutting through the air. They laid moaning on the ground. Only a few remained standing.

"I understand that you were the bosses in this," Tony said softly. Dark eyes flicked up. "And I understand that you underestimated me. I told you a lot about my life up to now. Shall I tell you something else? SHIELD's on its way here. All your other guards have been...removed from the picture currently, and they will enter shortly and take everyone into custody." He looked a little thoughtful. "I don't think I've ever talked to anyone and distracted them enough that they forget they have a job to do and also forget that I would be stupid to come without reinforcements."

Two guards dragged themselves into the hallway, but Tony ignored them.

The robots scuttled to the now guard-less Avengers. Clint flinched as one crawled over his arm, but it just inserted a claw and unlocked the handcuffs. Natasha and Clint struggled to their feet. Tony passed them his guns. Tony was standing impassively in the middle of the room as SHIELD personnel swarmed the room. Dark eyes flicked up to Clint's for a minute before they blinked and suddenly they saw a mask slide over Tony's face. Coulson strode in right to Tony, who now looked a bit sick, his face pale. But Clint saw the knowing glint in his eyes. The robots had somehow scrambled back up into Tony's shirt.

"Your robots were told to stand down, Tony."

"I stalled for as long as I could, Phil! I was running out of stories, and they were threatening Steve, and I didn't know what to do!" Tony seemed like he was panicking a little, a bit like a billionaire philanthropist would if he was pushed into a frightening situation.

"Agent," Tony said, sounding shocked. "Your two assassins seriously freak me out. They got out of their cuffs and took down everyone here," he sounded genuinely freaked out, and suddenly, Clint was pinned with two pairs of eyes.

"Is that true, Romanoff, Barton?" Coulson asked. Steve was watching Tony, who was in turn sending a piercing stare at Clint.

"Neither confirmed nor denied, sir," Clint said, grinning at Tony. The same Tony who murdered almost everyone here in cold blood for him and Bruce. And _damn_ if that didn't make someone feel special.

* * *

They were all pulled apart, separated and questioned. Tony had known that the story he told the Agents initially wouldn't hold, and he was correct. But at least he had a few hours. A few hours where he spent in Fury's office.

"That story you told to Coulson was bull," Fury said bluntly. "We have the recording from the comm in your shirt."

"Yes." Tony replied. "But I need you to understand that everything I said in there wasn't true. All fabricated to stall for you to get there. I knew that the guards would be slowly disabled. That was the plan, wasn't it sir? To stall until you could extract?"

Brown eyes mocked Fury.

"Damn it Tony, the plan wasn't to kill most of them." Tony shrugged.

"You let me in, you knew there would be collateral."

Fury looked at him wearily.

"I sure don't, and I know they won't believe you saying that you made up all that shit. That was real, Tony, and I heard the recording. That was you being honest for the first time."

Tony glared.

"Hey! I resent that! I'm more honest then you!" He said, looking affronted. Fury's lips twitched.

"Regardless. We'll keep this contained, but SHIELD can't stop stories going around within the agency, right now we can only prevent fallout from outside of the agency. Even that isn't a guarantee. A couple of the people holding your team we've had to let go on bail. Not the ringleaders, but they heard enough. They might sell the information about your childhood to the highest bidder."

Tony sighed.

"If that's what it comes down to, fine. I can deal with the fall out later."

"Was it worth it?" Fury asked, voice cold. Tony felt like he was being judged. He returned the glare steadily.

"It has to be."

* * *

Coulson had told them about how Tony was denying the truth behind what he had said. So they didn't mention it. But Thanksgiving was coming up, and they wanted to prove that Tony was special to them, and that regardless of his past, which they knew was true, they wanted him there. They had found the two men who had escaped, but they had divulged that they had told someone about Tony's stories.

They knew that the last act of these men would be to destroy Tony Stark. Even if it was only his reputation.

So it didn't surprise them to much when a news report about 'The Avengers' was advertised.

Bruce was watching National Geographic when the first commercial had come on.

_Pictures of them fighting in the first battle flashed across the screen._

" _The Avengers. All we know is stories thrown at us by the Paparazzi. All we know is that they saved us, that they continue to do so. All we know is the mask. But who are the Avengers really?"_

_A picture of Natasha flew into the screen._

" _Not American, a spy, fighting for us now, what made her change her mind?" Another picture of Natasha shooting a gun and looking amazing, overlaid the other one. Next a picture of Clint, an arrow pulled back on his bow, eyes serious._

" _What path made this circus performer turn to Government Agency's and work with the military? Who is this man really?" A laughing picture of Clint with Natasha, on one of their trips around New York, showed the other side of Clint Barton._

_A picture of Thor. "Claims that he's a God from another world, and we have no choice to believe him. But why would he keep returning?"_

_A picture of Steve, smiling bashfully, from the 40's, and another right next to it, the same expression on his face in the new uniform from just four weeks ago. "The super soldier who was frozen for 70 years. How has he adapted, and what brought Steve Rogers to the point that he was willing to do anything for his country?"_

_A picture of the Hulk, roaring into the sky. A shot of him catching Tony falling from the portal. "This beast's mild mannered alter ego, and the humanity that leaks through into his other form, and what brought Bruce Banner to the Avengers."_

_Lastly, pictures of Tony checkered the screen. First large photos, they shrunk to fit in a checkerboard pattern over the screen. As pictures of him as a child, growing up, to recent pictures, the voice when intense._

" _And the true, heartbreaking story of who Tony Stark really is, and what drives him to save the world. The look behind the public stories, lies fed to the media, and a shocking new take on Anthony Stark."_

_A picture of the team._

" _Fractured pasts, betrayal's, abandonment and hurt brought this team to where they are now. Find out who the Avengers really are, and how they just might be more broken than anyone else out there. Learn how they overcame their oppression and came out better, stronger, and the team you know today."_

Bruce had frozen, his eyes wide. It was true, lately people had asked strangely personal questions about the team in the last months, but they hadn't thought anything of it.

Fury called, yelled at them for letting their stories be leaked to the television stations, but said that it would be good for publicity, and anyway, secret identities were ruined anyway.

As the date drew closer for when the show had to air, commercial's got more specific, hinting at Bruce's past abuse, at Clint's broken family, about the act of mercy that convinced Natasha to join SHIELD, the struggle Steve had adjusting to the 21st century, about Tony's family and betrayal's, and how Thor's broken family.

News stations were picking up the story before it even aired, people theorizing about the pasts that the heroes had, and Tony scheduled a meeting in another country for when the show was to air.

A special, three-hour show.

* * *

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving.

All of them except Tony were gathered in SHIELD headquarters, watching one large television. On screen a man was explaining they went for _truth_ , not the stories that were fed to them. That they went back through the Avenger's pasts and found inconsistencies. Explained that there would be theories, there would be guesses, because some parts only the Avengers could fill in for them. Had old friends and family members talk to the news about each person.

The whole agency was quiet as the reporters systematically went through Natasha's life, telling them about her father, and her life in Russia, or what they could gather. Told about how Clint had saved her on a mission, and that act of trust was 'the one thing that has been true and real for this woman'.

" _She's mysterious, she's an assassin, she's a spy. She is now in the Avengers, and she hasn't even told us her name. This woman is Natasha Romanoff. She has a past drenched in blood, and she is a good person_."

The segment on Natasha finished abruptly. One tailored eyebrow was raised after her story was spilled, and a commercial played loudly throughout the room.

"How did they access that information?" She asked icily. Coulson shrugged. "Records, past missions, people you worked with, connections to Government, I don't know."

When the section about Clint's circus past, his brother, and their orphanage started, Clint shifted a bit closer to Natasha. His eyes were shadowed.

" _Although he was a killer just like his best friend-" a picture of Clint and Natasha arm in arm talking to each other flashed across the screen, "-he fights for us now. Both of these people took orders and followed them. The both have tragic pasts, hurts and a distinct lack of trust. But they both fight for a good cause and it is something respectful. Both Clint Barton and Natasha fight on the team as simple humans. No armor, no godly strength, no super soldier serum. They are skilled, highly dangerous individuals. They are good people."_

The report was taking the spin that although the Avengers had done terrible things, they had redeemed themselves. Yet, they were still bringing out painful subject for everyone involved. Another problem was that it was in fact the truth. Out there for the whole world to know.

When the segment with Bruce came on, it was longer than the other two. People who worked with him at the university spoke about Bruce, and old neighbours did as well. They explained how Bruce's father killed his mother, how Bruce had opportunity and means to kill his father. How he was abused, and how he made a life for himself. They even talked about Betty Ross and General Ross, showing the heartbreaking story about how they desperately tried to stay together when they were being torn apart. Showed how Bruce moved on, but never forgot her.

It showed Tony and Bruce prominently towards the end. How Tony Stark was seen out most with his 'science bro', and the easy camaraderie they have. The people speculated on the wisdom of having such a volatile man near Bruce, but they wrote off the concern saying that Tony was different with Bruce, tried to get him to stay instead of driving him away.

" _Also, the Hulk saved Iron Man. That's a sign of affection if I ever saw one,"_ The man on the TV said with a wink. They showed how Bruce was a good person, and they ever proved that the Hulk was doing more good than he ever did bad. It was touching, and it was shockingly different from the media stories before. This station was supporting the Hulk, and that was comforting.

Thor's section was mostly about the feud between Loki and Thor, and Jane Foster, and the incidents in New Mexico. About how the God functioned astonishingly well in a different world.

When Steve's picture cropped up, the first thing that was said was a cheerful, _"The man out of time! A leader, a soldier, and fitting in not nearly as well as we imagined."_ But they showed the inspirational story of Steve's past, showed sickly pictures of him, and clips of the serum injection. They touched briefly on the strangeness Steve must have felt knowing Howard and now being friends with Tony. They showed his promotional tours videos, and pictures of his trading cards.

Clips of fans, and of Steve's documented life were thoroughly explored. Modern pictures gave them room to explain that although he was understanding this world, it must be hard to leave behind everything he'd ever known.

They touched on his life then, and now, and even suggested that Steve wasn't as pure as everyone thought.

" _He's a soldier, he's been exposed to bad things. He wanted to fight in the war so badly he let an untested substance be injected into him. I'm not saying Steve Rogers is a bad person, no, in fact, I've met him. He's genuinely one of the greatest people I've ever met. I'm just thinking he isn't as innocent as people seem to think."_

An inside source on the early tension between Steve and Tony was talked about, explaining the argument they had, their jabs at each other. But instead of demeaning the two, the station commented on how ' _it's good to see that they get in argument; that they don't have a perfect friendship, or perfect lives. It's good to see that they aren't perfect, because that means they are only human. We can relate to them now.'_

With Tony's section, the mood set by Steve's story, a pure, good vibe was promptly shattered. The first thing showed was a picture of a little boy grinning at the camera.

" _We were told about a happy family. A genius boy, and proud parents. But that's probably the opposite of the Stark situation."_

A friend came on and explained how she had sat through Maria's rants after the media found out she was pregnant.

" _Maria would say to me, 'I wish no one knew. Now we can't have an abortion, the stock prices would dip'. I thought it was the saddest thing. Those two had a child so their stock prices would be good."_

The report explained that Howard and Maria didn't care for the child, except in public. Explained that Howard left to try to find Steve, and became depressed and angry when he couldn't.

" _The child always had bruises on him,"_ a friend of the families was explaining. " _'He would do his best to make his parents proud, he made his mother a robotic dog when he was four, trying to make her less lonely. She smiled a little and then ignored it. Howard told Tony why it was a terrible creature.' A picture was held up, the little boy standing morosely next to a completed dog, fur and everything. It looked like a dog. 'It was the most impressive thing I had seen in years. Even out of adult work. And they threw it away like it was trash.' "Tony Stark was underappreciated."_

The show showed pictures of a bruised and battered Tony, smiling for the camera regardless, an unhappy look in his eye. A psychologist was brought in to explain how she thought that his behaviours made sense for someone neglected, and emotionally, physically and sexually abused.

"' _Obviously we can't prove anything',"_ She said _"'But Howard Stark had a child for the stock market, and we have heard rumours that he sold his child's body for the stock market as well_.'"

Pictures of Tony with awards flashed across the screen.

" _A genius, underappreciated. Sent to boarding school, Tony must have considered it a great thing. In MIT at 15, he was already making patents for his father's company. A company that he was an important component to."_ Showed more accomplishments, but then explained about Tony's slide into alcoholism.

" _His parents think he's worthless, he has no friends, no connections where people hate a child who is smarter than them, a place where he's just trying to survive. He got depressed. Went drinking, partying. His first recorded suicide attempt was jumping from a roof at MIT."_ A picture of a bloodied Tony being loaded onto a stretcher.

" _His parents didn't even visit him in the hospital, but they certainly paid the money to cover it up."_

More pictures of Tony's life, mapped out. Video's of him, brown eyes dark and hateful, smile planted on his face, drink in his hand. More stories of suicide attempts.

The story of his parents deaths. How Tony then made himself an image, and a reputation.

" _We have good reason to believe that what we are told about Tony Stark, approximately half isn't true. What he says about himself has never been a lie, but what the press says has not always been 100 percent honest. Even if they were just mislead."_ A girl, pretty, was sitting, explaining how Tony took her back to his rooms, his house, wherever he was at the time, and paid her to tell people they slept together.

"' _He took me back to his room. As soon as the door closed he closed off completely. Asked how much I wanted to tell people we had slept together and that it was good. You name a price, he gave it without hesitation. It was weird. I didn't know people could make money from_ not _sleeping with someone. He gave me things to do, new technology to try, and worked the rest of the night.' Of course, he isn't an innocent either, but these revelations make us wonder if Tony Stark is a much better person than people think he is."_

Showed him on his rise to power, taking over the company, still winning awards, making weapons, changing the world, and making it his. Showed pictures of him golfing with the Presidents, shaking hands with the major political players, charming people at parties. Showed him at the prime of his previous career.

Showed pictures of Tony, clean shaven with short hair, and his friend Rhodey, crouching next a boy from Kenya. They had shovels in their hand. The reporter mentioned how Tony took time and built wells and schools with Rhodes, generously giving his money and time to those less fortunate.

They showed the impact Tony had on charities, and rebuilding the city. The dollars Tony spent on charities alone was obscene. And that was just confirmed. It was suspected he gave to more than the confirmed organizations. Philanthropist indeed. The show outlined how Tony had been giving since he was fifteen, slipping money discreetly where his father wouldn't notice. Spending big to hide his tracks of giving to the poor, so Howard couldn't disapprove of something he didn't know about.

Then the mood shifted again to the long three months when he was missing. Even had the clip of Tony being sat in front of a camera, speaking to Obadiah Stane. Showed brief, soundless clips of Tony being tortured, of the surgery. Grainy images said to be recovered from the actual cave he was held in. Photos of him laying silent, still, blood covering his chest. A doctor, working to save him. Pictures never seen before.

Showed x rays of Tony, from before Afghanistan, normal bone structure, and after, where a gaping hole was cut through his ribs, and how the reactor settled in. It even showed shrapnel suspended in his body.

The show went on to show how they dug up the lie of the accident surrounding Obadiah's death, and what really happened. They sympathized with him for the betrayal of someone so close.

They said how after all these troubles Tony had suffered, they were astonished that he was willing to let a team in his house, near him at all.

" _Badly injured, tortured, fighting for his life, he made the most advanced piece of weaponry ever."_

" _He fights for us, and I don't think calling him self-obsessed is fair. He flew a nuclear bomb into space for the people of New York: people who don't even support him."_

" _He's a genius, and a billionaire. He had a mask and facade that we see. It makes us wonder who Tony Stark really is. Makes us wonder what we don't know, wonder why he's done the things he's done. What drives Tony Stark? I don't know if we'll ever know. I don't know if he'll ever be comfortable putting his true self out for the public to see. Tony has had his body and soul abused and tortured and manipulated enough that I doubt he will trust anyone anymore. Not completely. Not with everything he has, and with his life being on display for everyone to see, he certainly can't afford to let us know all his secrets. But despite all this we have evidence that the Maria Stark foundation donates almost half a billion yearly to improving our world. Stark funds many other programs, and he's even personally travelled with his friend to volunteer in third world countries, building wells, schools and houses. So Tony Stark? He is undoubtedly, a good, good man. Now we just have to get you and_ him _to see it."_

" _Clint Barton. Natasha Romanov. Steve Rogers. Thor Odinson. Tony Stark. Bruce Banner. All with broken pasts. All with a future of no rest, a future with risk. A future where they put their life on the line for us. We cannot repay that, we can only support them. Support the goodness that is such an integral part of them, they are willing to give us everything to save us. They all have hurts, and betrayals. Angst, and a past no one would want. Let us never say they are no heroes. Let us never say they are weak. No one who is weak would be able to have lived their lives and survived. Let us pay them out respect, and give them our thanks. Let us understand the truth behind who the Avengers truly are."_

A picture of the Avengers flashed across the screen, before it went dark.

Bruce's hands were clutched tight in his lap.

"How is it," Fury said from behind them, "that news crews dug up this much information on the lives of my team?"

He glared at them, before turning and leaving, a tense silence left behind him.

_Will you love me? ohh_  
Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side? 

The media fallout was disastrous. They were followed by reports shoving microphones into their faces and asking question about the news.

How did they deal? How did they adjust? What got them through?

Bruce and Pepper called Tony constantly, until he was scheduled to fly home. They watched the live news of him looking tired and pale, sunglasses stuck on his face, shoving his way through the crowd of reporters, not saying anything.

When Bruce turned off the TV, he was surprised by Steve sitting next to him.

"I was wrong about him, wasn't I?" He asked. Pepper gave him a small smile.

"Tony keeps things close. Quiet. It's not your fault."

Bruce watched silently as Tony was welcomed home by a team who gave him space to go up to Pepper. She apologized.

"I'm sorry. I don't know where they got the pictures, or the information." Tony shrugged.

"Not your fault, probably was going to happen sooner or later." She looked at him a little strangely, and they had disappeared. That night Bruce wandered up to the roof where Tony was lying on his back. He was staring at the stars.

"I'm sorry that your story was outed to the world," Tony said softly. Bruce shrugged.

"Yours was worse," he said matter-of-factly.

"I don't think there is a worse, Bruce, just bad or not bad. They're both bad. I told Clint to come up, by the way." Bruce nodded, settling next to his friend. They stayed silent until Clint arrived.

He glanced at them and settled down too.

"I worry, sometimes." Tony broke the silence. "What they said on the news, it was all true. That's fine. But you know the messed up part? I saw it in my hotel, and I didn't _care_ that the rest of the world suddenly knew most of the things about me. I cared what this team thought. What Pepper and Rhodey would do. And that's terrifying. I've never been actually dependent on other people before."

Clint stayed silent.

Bruce didn't. "Don't be stupid Tony, we wouldn't leave you because we learned about your past."

"But that's the thing, I thought you might. Even Pepper, but the first thing she said was that she loved me. The last time I worried about things like that was with my parents, when I was young. Whether they would be proud of me or not."

"You're worried we're too close." Clint stated. Tony shot him a look.

"Like family," the billionaire agreed. "And that's the worst. I never wanted a family again. My first one let me down. It scares me, how close you all have gotten in such a short amount of time."

"You're my friend," Bruce said a little viciously. "Tony, you're the only thing keeping me here." Tony shot up, his eyes wide.

"Bruce, you love life here. You like this team, your lab, the people, being able to be free again, of course you wouldn't leave."

"I love the life I have here, because you're here. If you weren't here Tony, I wouldn't be. I would call Clint, probably, check in with him, but out of everyone, you're my best friend. And I get what you're saying," Bruce kept saying, his voice unsteady. "Because it scares me. How close you've gotten. How I'm staying here because of you. Clint and Pepper too, but mostly you."

His eyes were moist.

"I would be gone, Tony, if you and Clint weren't friends like you are."

They didn't say much of anything for a while after that, Tony resting his head on Bruce's shoulder, staring at the stars. Clint lay quietly, his ankles over Tony's, arms behind his head.

He felt warm that they invited him up to their roof hang out, which they'd never done before. It was a place that Bruce and Tony hashed out their lives together, and would talk freely. It was where they were comfortable.

And he was a part of it now. Tony shifted.

"Do you know why I like the stars?" He asked softly.

Bruce murmured, "no," and Clint shook his head.

"When I was in Afghanistan, it was one of the few things I wanted. Obviously to go home, but I knew that if I could just...get _outside_ , see the stars, I would be a little bit better. They wouldn't let me, and I hated them even more for that." Tony said softly.

Clint rotated his shoulders.

"This one time I was on a mission, and it was in these underground caverns, and I literally almost cried with joy when I saw actual grass again—"

* * *

The news was all over the lengthy report on the Avengers that had shown. They showed clips of reporters trying to get the members of the team to comment after, and all of them pushing them aside. Videos of Tony returning to America, being escorted to his car, of Clint and Natasha pulling down a hat to avoid the flashes of cameras, of Steve giving a sheepish grin and retreating as quick as he could. Thor beaming and telling tales of Asgard, but cleverly avoiding deeply personal questions. Bruce didn't even bother leaving the tower.

Tony had returned back to his house and promptly avoided everyone except Clint and Bruce, and none of them had talked about the stories, except for Clint saying, "Well, that sucks now that it's out there, doesn't change anything, right?" and then leaving.

Fury came in once, and Tony emerged briefly, looked the director of SHIELD in the eye and said,

"It was worth it. Everything. And if you disagree, I don't care." Fury just gave a frightening smile.

"It was worth it Stark."

* * *

When Tony finally emerged from his lab he was waving an arrow above his head and yelling Clint's name.

"BARTON! What have I told you about using the vents for pranks? I _will_ tear them down and find a more efficient air distribution system! You can't hide from me!" Spinning around, brown eyes landing on Steve and narrowed.

"Where is he?" He demanded.

"What? Why would I know?"

"You're the leader or whatever, aren't you! Shouldn't you know where people are?"

"I mean, he's fine, obviously. JARVIS would tell us otherwise, right?"

_Yes sir, I would. Mr. Barton is currently above you in the air vent listening to your conversation._

"Thanks JARVIS!" Steve grinned at a triumphant Tony who was looking ridiculous currently trying to climb the wall to tear the ceiling down to get at Barton. A scuffling noise came from above, and the genius shouted up when he couldn't climb.

"I'll get you Barton! You'll find _everything_ dyed purple by tomorrow! Tasha can't save you...well, probably she could, but she _won't_ because you broke her new weapon!"

"That's _cheap_ , Stark," Barton's muffled shout sounded.

"It's _true_!"

Clint scurried away in the vents. Tony turned and scowled at a disapproving Steve.

"What? He'll hate everything being purple."

"Don't do that, Tony," Steve pleaded. "He'll just get you back worse, and then it'll be a war."

"What am I supposed to do, Steve?" Tony asked. "He'll just get this sense of entitlement, and then he'll never stop!"

"Look, I'll talk to him. Workshop out of bounds, right?" Tony nodded sullenly, and turned to leave.

"Hey Tony?" Steve said quietly. Tony shot him a questioning glance. "It's good to see you again." Remembering what Tony had said in the hostage situation, he added quickly, "And you are a good person. Really good." Tony looked a little cornered, and he nodded swiftly, backing away. Steve wanted to get him to understand how much of a good impact that Tony was for everyone, even him. Even though they hadn't always gotten along, Tony always was willing to help Steve when he needed it.

In the weeks that followed, Tony would reappear more often. Clint and Bruce finally convinced him to come back to the movie nights.

Finally, the whole team sat and talked about the news report. Steve felt bad that his old friend had changed so much, but understood that the Howard he knew, and the Howard Tony knew were drastically different people.

Natasha and Clint took a night and sat up talking, finally divulging the secrets that they had kept so close, thrown into the light by the news. They talked, and became even closer.

Bruce and Tony had a new bond, the former pushing back his friend's sleeves during the team chat, and everyone stopped to watch as the scientist gently rubbed a thumb over the engineer's scars.

Tony finally started to interact more with the rest of the team, especially connecting with Steve. They spent more time together, still not close friends, but reaching an understanding, and enjoying each other's company.

They knew Tony finally trusted everyone when he walked in to get coffee, shirtless and yawning. Scars littered his back and chest, but the most prominent feature was the arc reactor. He leaned past Steve to get his 'life saving drink', allowing the others the first unguarded look at the device in Tony's chest, glowing softly.

Thanksgiving solidified the team feel, and the battle afterwards, they never fought so smoothly together.

Unguarded, genuine smiles were granted to one another, and even Pepper had never looked so radiantly happy.

Steve didn't feel quite so alone.

He watched as Tony argued with Natasha, a grin on his face as he pointed a screwdriver at her. Pepper glided past him smoothly taking the screwdriver, and turning to kiss her boyfriend-now fiancé. The ring glittered beautifully on her finger, and her smile lit up the room.

Tony gave her a happy smile, and hugged her, sticking his tongue out at the red headed assassin behind Pepper's back as he did so. Bruce grinned, his demeanor finally relaxed with the others, and not just Tony and Clint.

Bruce was volunteraly coming up from his lab, like Tony was now, and spending time with the team, even when Clint and Tony weren't there.

Steve was welcomed to the labs now, and the archery range.

Jane Foster and Darcy moved in, Darcy's infectious enthusiasm a little overwhelming, and Jane's shy stability a relief.

 _Finally_ , Steve thought, grinning at his team...no, his _family's_ antics, and they grinned back at him. _Finally, I have a home again_.

* * *

Clarissa breathed in the coffee smell from her regular corner in the coffee shop. She turned the page quietly in her newspaper, and watched as her friend Melina cleaned a little while there was a lack of costumers.

"How's the break, doll?" Melina called back. Clarissa grinned and waved to her cheerily. Her response was cut off a people trudged into the shop.

"I swear, this is the best place for _miles_ ," One man was saying, gesticulating wildly. His brown hair was short, and his t-shirt didn't cover his truly excellent arms. A grin was on his face, and he looked like he was having a great time. The woman at his side snorted, and elbowed him swiftly. He grunted in pain.

"Tash!" She smiled, a look Clarissa didn't think she must wear often. Her hard eyes softened and her lips twitched up. A mild looking man pushed his glasses up a shrugged.

"He practically lives on coffee, and he knows what Tony likes. I'd trust him." His curly hair and soft voice made him look warm and soft.

Melina was watching them curiously.

"He knows what I like? Well, _good_. He knows I like coffee to _drink_ , not to have _spilled all over me_ , Rogers!"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault! Darcy pushed me!" The gorgeous blond one protested to the good-looking dark haired man. The girl by their side scowled.

"Look man, I was trying to avoid the two lovebirds." She said matter of factly. "This was the best outcome," The tall beautiful man by her side looked sheepish, while the small dark haired beauty by his side blushed.

"I'm sorry, Tony, Steve, we weren't watching," she said apologetically. Tony waved her off, he turned and Melina dropped her cloth she was wiping the tables with, and Clarissa almost choked. That was _Tony Stark_. And that meant this was the _Avengers_. In her coffee shop!

The first man stepped forward to the counter where Melina stood now, recovering.

"Hi," he said, charmingly.

"Hey," she choked back.

"So, my friend Tony here spilled his last batch of coffee because he's and _idiot_ and didn't buy more-"

"-hey! Tash drank mine!"

"I was _thirsty_." Natasha Romanoff scowled. Tony grinned, but Clarissa thought she would give the lady anything she wanted under that glare.

"I need it to _live_ , Tasha!"

"Verily, the man of Iron is surprisingly _dopey_ —"

"Thor! I taught you that word to use when Steve was thinking about Peggy or something! Not on me! And I'm not _dopey_!"

"I don't look dopey ever," Steve protested.

"You give a hurt puppy vibe," Stark snarked at him. The soldier looked mildly confused but didn't protest.

"Anyway!" The first man said again, "we desperately need coffee or we'll all kill each other soon." Melina nodded dumbly and pushed a few packets forward, and poured cups for them all.

Stark threw a bundle of cash at her, and they all gave them a quick smile, a left, bickering again amongst themselves. Clarissa pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture of them leaving.

They were all close, Jane pulled up to Thor, who was walking behind Steve, who was giving Tony a perplexed look. Tony was sidled up next to Bruce, and reaching for the quiet redhead who had been waiting for them outside. Bruce was laughing at what the billionaire had said. Clint was walking with an arm slung around Natasha who wound an arm around his waist, her face relaxed, and turned to Darcy. They all were laughing or talking, moving, but they looked _happy_.

"Nice picture," Melina said approvingly. "We could hang it up. Draw costumers or something,"

"They don't look anything like themselves." Clarissa argued. It was true. None of them were wearing anything like their uniforms, or even clean, expensive clothes. Tony Stark was in a t shirt and dirty frayed jeans, his beard growing in a little, and everyone else was in sweats or jeans, and casual shirts.

"That's why it's perfect," Melina said. "Because _they_ aren't perfect. And they know it, and push themselves to be better anyway. We'll use the picture. It's a good one, relatable and good. They aren't picture perfect, Clarissa, maybe. They aren't styled perfectly, or looking their best, but they're here, and they're in it for us all the way. They're what we need."

* * *

 **The end**!

Thanks for all the awesome reviews, and I'm sorry it took so long to get this out.

I appreciate everyone sticking with this story. I wanted a more team feel, but I just feel like Tony has a really mysterious past, and that he's a really interesting character, so I kept writing for him, and not so much for other people, but oh well.

Anyway, read and review!  
Thanks for everyone reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

**Author's Note:**

> I own nothing!  
> Song is Dark Side, by Kelly Clarkson


End file.
